Covid-19: what are the variants circulating in Africa?
A Covid-19 unit in Nairobi, Kenya.
AP - Brian Inganga
Text by: Jeanne Richard Follow
8 mins
The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 has already changed a lot since its appearance at the end of 2019 in China.
In addition to the initial source, known as "wild" which spread throughout the world in 2020, more contagious variants, sometimes more dangerous or even which may partly escape vaccination, have emerged.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and governments around the world are therefore closely monitoring the appearance of these variants in order to be able to adapt the response to the pandemic.
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In Africa, as there are few laboratories equipped for genome sequencing, i.e. capable of reading the genetic code of the virus, WHO has organized a network of reference laboratories, which receive samples of across the continent to monitor the appearance of these mutant viruses. “
So far,
24,000 samples have been sequenced in Africa,
” explains WHO Africa director Dr Matshidiso Moeti. "
We know that this is not enough and that we must quickly increase the pace
", because of the rise in power of certain variants.
According to data already collected by the WHO, the Alpha variant, also called the English variant, is identified in 32 African countries. It is mainly found in the northwest and central part of the continent. The Beta variant, which appeared in South Africa, is present in 27 African countries. It is especially reported in southern countries. “
These two variants are more transmissible than the wild virus,
” explains Dr. Moeti, but the Delta variant, the Indian variant, is even more so according to her. To date, it has been recorded in 16 African countries.
In South Africa
, as the country is going through a third wave of Covid-19 even more violent than the previous one, it has overtaken the local variant, Beta, and has become the majority.
In Uganda, it now represents 97% of tests performed and 84% in DRC.
“
It is the most contagious variant to date.
It could be up to 60% more transmissible than the other variants
, specifies the director of the WHO in Africa.
The first observations suggest that the Delta variant is linked to more serious and longer forms of Covid-19.
"
Emerging variants in Africa
“
Higher transmissibility means more cases, more hospitalizations and a greater risk of overwhelming health systems
,” recalls Matshidiso Moeti.
In addition to these three variants considered "of
concern
" by the WHO, other variants are emerging on the continent.
These are so-called “
interest
”
variants
, “
to be continued
”, because they spread in several countries and may have the same mutations found in the “
worrying
”
variants
.
They still need to be assessed in more detail.
First, the Eta variant, also called the Nigerian variant, although its origin is not clearly proven.
Appeared in December 2020, "
it is now present in 21 to 25 African countries, and has become the third most common variant on the continent, after Alpha and Beta
", details Dr. Nicksy Gumede-Moeletsi, virologist at the WHO Africa.
“
We are also starting to observe the Kappa variant, a subline of the Indian variant [Delta variant], observed in three countries on the continent.
Finally, the Epsilon variant, known as the California variant, has been observed in two African countries
.
"
► To read again: The EU does not recognize Covishield, the majority AstraZeneca vaccine in Africa
Effective vaccines
All viruses mutate, so the appearance of variants is normal. Fortunately, for now, the vaccines on the market appear to be effective against these different strains of coronavirus. Even if they do not necessarily prevent all contagions and mild forms, studies carried out in countries where vaccination is already very advanced show that vaccines limit the number of serious forms and hospitalizations according to experts from the WHO. By slowing the spread of the virus, vaccines also slow the appearance of new forms of virus, and therefore dangerous variants.
"
Vaccination is clearly a solution to put an end to this pandemic, yet
barely more than 1% of Africans are completely vaccinated
", deplores Matshidiso Moeti, who also recalls the importance of barrier gestures.
-
What is a variant
?
All viruses mutate over time, especially when they circulate abundantly in the population. As it multiplies, small errors appear in the genetic code of the virus. This is called mutations, which can change the properties of the virus, or on the contrary not lead to any change. There are actually a multitude of variants, but only a handful have acquired more dangerous properties. It is these variants that are monitored by scientists and public authorities.
-
Understand the different categories of variants
According to the WHO classification, variants are designated by a letter of the Greek alphabet and may be of “interest” or considered to be of “concern”. Variants "to watch" or "of interest" are those which spread within a population or which are detected in several countries. This is the case of the Epsilon variant, which appeared in the United States in March 2020 for example (the Californian variant), or Theta, discovered in the Philippines in January 2021. In Africa, the Eta variant, the Nigerian variant is part of this category. .
Variants are considered to be of "concern" when studies show that they are also transmitted more easily, that they are more virulent, or that they escape the action of drugs, vaccines, or detection by diagnostic tests by. example. The Alpha variant is also known as the "English" variant spreads faster than the wild strain and has replaced it in many countries. The Beta variant, also called the “South African” variant, or the Gamma variant, the “Brazilian” variant, notably possess mutations which allow them to be less sensitive to vaccines. The Delta variant, which came from India, remains to this day the most contagious variant, "
up to 60% more transmissible than the others
", according to experts.
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