China Fund News reporter Yao Bo
Wave after wave, wave after wave.
South Africa, the discovery of Omicron, has a new variant!
Since the beginning of the past week, the subtype variant of Theomexon, known as BA.4 and BA.5, is spreading, and the number of infections in South Africa is rising rapidly.
South Africa reported 6,372 new cases on 27 April, with a COVID-19 detection rate of 21.1%. This compares to 581 cases on 28 March, with a detection rate of 4.5%. South Africa's National Institute of Infectious Diseases said hospitalizations and deaths were on the rise, despite the slow pace. Local wastewater surveillance has also shown an increase in the spread of the coronavirus.
According to the Associated Press, Karim, a public health expert at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, notes that the infection rate of the new variant is surpassing the original Strain of Omicron and other variants. However, Karim also pointed out that now that the number of hospitalizations has increased slightly, and the number of deaths has not increased significantly, it is too early to judge whether the new variant will cause a full-blown outbreak.
Helen Reese, director of the Institute of Reproductive Health and AIDS at the University of The Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said there is a worrying trend: Child admissions are high, as was the case during the initial Obi Keron surge.
It is understood that South Africa is currently the country with the largest proportion of covid-19 detected in Africa. South Africa currently has a population of 60 million, less than 5% of Africa, but South Africa accounts for more than a quarter of Africa's 11.4 million infected and 250,000 deaths. On the one hand, it may be the high contagiousness of the virus, or it may be because South Africa's public health system is more developed and the detection rate is higher.
The number of COVID-19 infections in many parts of the world remains high as of April 27
May be more infectious than BA.2
The dominant strain that is now ravaging the world is Ami kerong BA.2 and its subgenus. Experts say BA.4 and BA.5 appear to be more contagious than the original Omilon variant and variants known as BA.2. Scientists are still working on the new variant, which doesn't seem to be more toxic.
In addition to South Africa, The Obikerjong BA.4 and BA.5 have been found in 20 countries around the world, including Botswana, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom, but it is unclear whether it will become the new dominant variant of the world.
A new WHO report concludes that the new variant may be more contagious. WHO weekly global aggregate data as of 27 show that BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.12 appear to be more contagious than BA.2. However, there is no evidence that the severity or clinical manifestations of infection in the new strain differ from previous ones, but more conclusions are expected as studies progress.
According to South African government statistics, more than 44% of adult South Africans have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Benito Impma, WHO Africa official, said the latest surge in cases showed that people must remain vigilant and continue to comply with public safety measures such as wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing.
Evading vaccines and immune or stronger
In addition to being potentially more contagious, the new variant also appears to be more able to evade vaccine protection.
Scientists at South Africa's Genetic Sequencing Research Institute say the new variants of the Omni kerong virus subtype, BA.4 and BA.5, discovered in South Africa this month, are likely to be able to evade vaccines and the natural immunity of infected people.
Virologist De Oliveira said that the Aomi Kejung subtype variant BA.2 is already more contagious than the Aomi Kerong, but BA.4 and BA.5 appear to be more contagious than BA.2. Even more alarming is the fact that South Africa has been re-infected with COVID-19 vaccines, and the current surge in the number of infected people means that the latest variants are not only more contagious, but may also be able to evade the body's defense system.
Oliveira said mutations in the mutant strain allow the virus to evade immune mechanisms, which is expected to be enough to lead to repeated infections and break through some vaccine protections. This is the only reason for the complexity of the outbreak in South Africa, where it is estimated that more than 90% of the population already has a level of immunity protection.
Oliveira said that the NUMBER of CASES BA.4 and BA.5 in Aumiqueron accounts for about 70 per cent of the new confirmed cases in South Africa; the two new variants have led to a surge in confirmed cases in South Africa, but the number of hospitalizations and deaths has not increased significantly.
WHO Chief Scientist Sumiya Swaminatan has warned earlier that sometimes the virus can change so rapidly that it may be able to evade existing immune systems. Sub-lineages and recombinants of COVID-19 will continue to emerge, and the world must continue to invest in improved tools such as new vaccines. Only by being prepared can we cope with the continuous evolution of the virus.
Edit: Joey