South Africa Detects Possible New Covid19 Variant Known as C.1.2
- Additional research seems to imply the potential for a new Covid-19 varient in South Africa following the health departments apparent report to the World Health Organization (WHO)
- The new varient discovered by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform is being referred to as C.1.2 lineage
- Initially identified in June the newly discovered varient known as C.1.2 lineage was first identifiedin Mpumalanga and later in Gauteng during May of this year
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Recent research has suggested that South Africa could soon face a new variant of Covid-19. The Health Department has reportedly informed the World Health Organization (WHO) of the matter.
A report by EWN stated that the new variant is being referred to as C.1.2 lineage. It was identified by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) along with the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform.
Source: Getty Images
The report continued by explaining that most of the C.1.2 lineage sequences from across the globe are from SA. The new variant was first found in Mpumalanga and then in Gauteng near May of this year.
In June, the variant had been detected in KwaZulu-Natala, Limpopo, China and England. By mid-August, the C.1.2 variant was found in the Northern Cape, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape. This shows that the virus quickly circulated in seven of SA's provinces.
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US epidemiologist and health economist Dr Eric Feigl-Ding shared a post on social media recently that stated that the C.1.2 is a fast moving variant. Feigl-Ding explained that it has not yet been clear what the precise transmission is nor do they know the severity of the vaccine efficacy, this according to SA News.
Study says Covid-19 is not a respiratory disease but a vascular disease
Earlier, Briefly News reported that the notion that coronavirus is a respiratory disease has been contested by a study published by the University of California San Diego.
The study states that the symptoms associated with Covid-19 much rather reflect a vascular disease as opposed to a respiratory one, according to IOL. The study also states that specific issues experienced by Covid-19 patients, such as blood clots and in some cases strokes, are not in line with respiratory disease.
The research was published in the Circulation Research journal and showed that a team of scientists found the coronavirus attacked the circulatory system or the vascular system.
The virus' S protein is said to attack the ACE2 receptor and damages the energy-generating cells known as mitocondria, and consequently damages the endothelium, which coats the blood channel, according to EuroNews.
Source: Briefly News
