UPDATE: SA DETECTS A NEW VARIANT ‘C.1.2’
SOUTH African scientists and researchers say they have detected a new Covid variant which they think could be a global threat if left unchecked. They have named it variant C.1.2.
The Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa (NGSSA), which includes the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), KRISP at the Univer
sity of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch University (SUN), the University of the Free State (UFS), the University of Pretoria, the University of the Witwatersrand ( WITS) and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), has been monitoring changes in SARSCOV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19, since March 2020.
The scientists say they have been tracing this lineage since May 2021 when they first noted it in the sequence. It is known to contain a number of mutations seen in some past variants.
But it also has new ones which scientists think could make the virus even more infectious and also much able to evade the immune system.
Scientists are concerned this new variant may in turn affect the effectiveness of the current vaccines and even fuel the fourth wave in Mzansi and beyond, something that they had already brought to the attention of the World Health Organisation ( WHO).
C.1.2 not yet Variant of Interest (VOI) or Variant of Concern (VOC), but could be.
As I have explained time and again, SARSCOV2 the virus that causes Covid-19 keeps changing every time it makes copies of itself.
Some of these changes are concerning and they have been behind all the deadly waves the world has since experienced.
Depending on their clinical and epidemiological profiles, these are either designated as Variants of Interest ( VOI) or Variants of Concern ( VOC), and ongoing genomic surveillance is essential for early detection of such variants. The need for research cannot be overemphasised.
And as we may know, there are currently four VOCs (Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta) and four VOIs (Eta, Iota, Kappa and Lambda) in circulation globally. of these, Alpha, Beta and Delta have had the most impact globally in terms of transmission and immune evasion, with Delta rapidly displacing other variants to predominate globally. It is the delta that fuelled our third wave here in Zambia.
Currently, the C.1.2 variant is not classified variant of interest or of concern yet but soon could be if it continues to spread and gain dominance. And spreading it is.
It was first detected in the Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces of South Africa, in
May 2021 then by June 2021, it was also detected in the Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces of South Africa and was also detected in England and China.
As of August 13, 2021 the C.1.2 lineage has been detected in 6/9 South African provinces (including the Eastern Cape and Western Cape). The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mauritius, New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland have also detected it. Recent monitoring shows it has also been detected in Botswana.
If lineage C.1.2 becomes variant of interest, it will be given a Greek letter.
At the moment Lambda is the latest variant of inter
est named after the Greek Alphabet. It is mainly in South America. The two variants are said to have a lot in common.
THE C.1.2 MUTATIONS
Again as I have said on every article I have written on variants and mutations, a mutation is nothing but just a change in position of amino acids that make up the particular protein.
These Amino acids which are designated with English alphabetical letters are identified by the number of the position they occupy in the protein chain.
For this particular variant, 25 mutations have been identified in the spike protein. That is the amino acids in 25 positions of the virus spike protein have “accidentally” swapped places.
Scientists say 13 out of the 25 mutations, that is about 52 percent mutations identified in the spike protein in C.1.2 have previously been identified in other VOIs and VOCs.
These mutations include the D614G, which is common to all variants, it is the first notable mutation from the wild type, the virus first identified in Wuhan, China.
The E484K and N501Y are shared with the Beta and Gamma variants while the E484K is also seen in Eta and N501Y in Alpha as well. The T478K substitution is seen in less than 50 percent of the C.1.2 viruses but it is also observed in Delta variant.
Of greater concern is the accumulation of additional mutations (C136F, Y449H and N679K). These mutations seem to be associated with greater transmitabil
ity,
seems to be currently under control. Although it hasn’t been an easy road, I still send condolences and sympathy to the many who lost their loved ones to Covid-19.
The gaps our departed loved ones left shall never be filled and no amount of money or wealth can buy them back. Sadly, we humans live only but once, sometimes, most times actually, I wish we had nine lives.
Dear Chilala, I feel your pain, very few if any can understand or even endure what you and the rest of the family have been through. Losing a brother and father in a short period and almost losing mom as well is just beyond words.
I hope and pray you and all the grieving families and friends everywhere continue staying strong as they cope with such eternal losses. May the good memories of those Covid prematurely took away live on forever.
Indeed, it has not been easy on health care workers as well. Talk of the sleepless nights, the uncomfortable PPEs, the burn out, the infections, the losses, the breaking of sad news to family members, succumbing of our colleagues in the line of duty.
I really pray and hope we don’t tread on this ugly road
again. The gains made must be maintained. We can’t afford to ignore where we are coming from.
Yes, we now have a good sigh of relief at the moment coupled with beautiful summer weather, though it gets too hot at times. Please let us not forget to be responsible in these quiet times.
We should be on guard and do all we can to stay safe. If C.1.2 becomes a variant of concern, it will definitely affect us as well. Exactly how this variant will turn out, only time will tell. It may get stronger or weaker.
As is the case, I will always keep reminding all of us to continue the good fight against Covid-19. Please let us put in mind that another wave, the 4th one might be on its way.
The good news is we can help prevent it. We can help weaken any new variant by not allowing it to infect people, by giving it no room to spread, by observing the known preventive measures.
Please let us continue to mask up, sanitise and socialise wisely. Let us all fight on for a better Zambia, a better, SADC, a better Africa and indeed a better world. One Zambia, One Nation.