In South Africa, a new contagious variant of Covid-19 has been identified with 32 mutations of the Spike protein, the part of the virus that most vaccines use to trigger the immune system.
Called B.1.1.529, it could theoretically increase its transmissibility and the ability to evade antibodies: the World Health Organization is currently ranking it among the variants to be monitored.
According to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) of South Africa, the presence of the variant, first seen in Botswana, has been documented by sequencing in 22 positive cases. Among these was a 36-year-old traveler, returning from South Africa, who arrived in Hong Kong.
Between a still limited diffusion and the few laboratory tests, the elements to evaluate the variant are still few: the scientific community, however, has already taken steps to try to complete its identikit quickly.
Thomas Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, said that "the staggering number of mutations in the Spike protein suggests that this variant could cause concern" due to the hypothetical ability to escape many of the known monoclonal antibodies.
(Unioneonline / D)