South African variant of COVID-19 virus confirmed in Ghana – CDC

The African Center for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed that Ghana is among the countries on the continent where the new variant of COVID-19 is spreading.

The mainland body said the new variant is “more transmissible than previously circulating variants, with high viral shedding.”

In a statement released on Friday January 29, 2021, the Africa CDC said a total of three new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus had been identified worldwide; 501Y / VUI – 202012/01 in UK, 501Y.V2 in South Africa and 501Y.V3 in Brazil.

He said that while he did not easily have a full appreciation of the extent of the spread of the new variants in Africa, he had confirmed that the 501Y.V2 variant which was first discovered in South Africa. South, currently spreading to 22 countries around the world, including Ghana.

Other countries in Africa that have confirmed infections of the new South African variant are Botswana and Zambia.

“Preliminary results show that three new, similar but distinct variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the 501Y / VUI – 202012/01, 501Y.V2, 501Y.V3, have been reported in the Kingdom United, South Africa. and Brazil, respectively, are significantly more transmissible than previously circulating variants, with high viral shedding observed among cases. There is currently limited data on the extent to which these new variants have spread in Africa, but preliminary data shows that the 501Y.V2 variant has been reported in 22 countries around the world, including South Africa, Ghana, Botswana and Zambia, ”the CDC statement read. .

Scientists in South Africa said earlier that the new variant is 50% more contagious than previous strains.

The Africa CDC says it is currently working to map the regional spread of the three variants and support local laboratories to meet emerging SARS-CoV-2 sequencing needs and ensure the availability of geographically representative and timely data.

Meanwhile, the African CDC associates the spread of the new variants of the virus with the second wave of COVID-19 infections which it says is suffered by at least 40 countries, including all countries in southern Africa.

– citinewsroom