New coronavirus variant from South Africa worries: "Hit like a bomb"

Researchers in South Africa have discovered a new variant of the coronavirus that raises concerns.

Variant B.1.1.529 carries a very unusual constellation of mutations that can possibly avoid the body's immune response and thus make the virus more contagious.

It emerged at a hastily convened press conference in Johannesburg on Thursday.

- What they say is that it has very many more mutations than the previous variants, says Johan Ripås who is on site in Cape Town, in SVT's Morgonstudion.

Confirms 100 samples

South Africa has confirmed about 100 samples of the variant, which were also discovered in Botswana and Hong Kong.

Analyzes from diagnostic laboratories indicate that the variant is spreading fastest in the populous province of Gauteng.

But according to the researchers, it can occur in the country's other eight provinces.

"Although data are limited, our experts work overtime with all established monitoring systems to understand the new variant and what the potential consequences could be," the South African Institute of Infectious Diseases wrote in a statement.

Six countries are red-listed

Britain announced late on Thursday that South Africa was red-listed in the country's travel restrictions.

Flights from South Africa and five other countries will be suspended from noon on Friday.

British citizens returning from the countries must be quarantined.

The relevant countries that the United Kingdom points out are, in addition to South Africa, also Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland (Eswatini), Zimbabwe and Botswana.

- Previous indications show that this variant is more contagious than delta, and that the vaccines we have today are less effective against the new variant, says the British Minister of Health Sajid Javid.

British health authorities say no trace of the virus variant has yet been found in the UK.

"Nightmare you feared"

South Africa is one of the countries in Africa hardest hit by the pandemic, and had just begun to return to normal when the new mutation was discovered.

- This has hit like a bomb, says SVT's Johan Ripås.

- Unfortunately, this is the nightmare that was feared here.

What is most feared is new measures that will break the economy and then comes this news that a new variant has been discovered in Johannesburg.

He believes that several restrictions await in the country, which has already closed down several times during the pandemic.