While it is unknown whether the new Covid-19 variant is associated with either easier transmission or more severe disease, the large number of mutations warrants caution, said Department of Health director-general, Dr Sandile Buthelezi.
The genomes from the two South African cases were uploaded to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data by the National Institute For Communicable Diseases on 22 August.
“Both are from routine surveillance from private laboratories, one from Gauteng and the other from Mpumalanga. With the detection of the two genomes from South African cases, we will be increasing genomics surveillance and conducting detailed phylogenetic analysis,” said Buthelezi
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