Chronicle EditorThandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter
A new Covid-19 variant has been detected in the neighbouring South Africa and Botswana which scientists have said has low frequency as they continue to assess its potential impact.
The B.1.1.529 strain, an offshoot of an old variant called B.1.1, has 32 spike mutations and has also been found in Hong Kong.
The person who tested positive to the new variant in Hong Kong had recently travelled to South Africa.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified the B.1.1.529 variant as a variant under monitoring (VUM).
A variant receives this label when it has genetic changes that are believed to affect the virus’ characteristics, the WHO notes. A VUM presents some indication that it may pose a future risk.
In an interview Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Maphios Siamuchembu said Bulawayo is very close to both South Africa and Botswana considering that people still travel to and from the affected countries.
He urged members of the public to be vigilant in getting vaccinated and practising hand hygiene, social distancing and wearing of masks as means of containing transmission of the deadly virus.
“The new Covid 19 variant has been detected in South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong, suggesting it has probably already spread across the globe, maybe we are yet to detect it in Zimbabwe.
We do not know what this means to anyone as the new variant is just emerging,” he said.
Dr Siamuchembu said what is known is that vaccination reduces the risk of infections, the disease severity, the need for hospitalisation and the death rate of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We therefore continue to urge all residents of Bulawayo and Zimbabwe in general to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and to continue with hand hygiene, wearing of masks and physical distancing.
This we know works, so let’s do what we know works.” –@thamamoe
Online Reporter