NICD: Tshwane one of regions where new Covid-19 variant detected

Tshwane is one of the regions in Gauteng where a new coronavirus variant has been detected, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

On Thursday (November 25), the NICD confirmed that a new coronavirus variant was detected in the country as cases – not just in Tshwane but throughout Gauteng – saw a sustained increase over the past two weeks.

“Through collaborative efforts with private laboratories and the Network for Genome Surveillance South Africa (NGS-SA) members, a new Covid-19 variant, B.1.1.529, has been detected in South Africa,” a media statement by the NICD read.

The institute stipulated that 22 positive cases of variant B.1.1.529 were recorded nationally. During a media briefing on the new variant, NICD Professor Anne von Gottberg said the variant was detected in Tshwane and other regions in Gauteng.

“Almost a 100 specimens have been sequenced and confirmed, and most of them are coming from areas in Tshwane and other parts of Gauteng,” she said. On Monday, the institute said that a cluster outbreak at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), where 55 active cases of students and a staffer were recorded, was worrisome. Health minister Dr Joe Phaahla said the new variant was possibly the driving force behind the increase in cases in Gauteng.

“We are worried that this outbreak is amongst young people, who are amongst those least vaccinated,” Phaahla said.

Phaahla urged people living with commodities to adhere to treatments as the impact of the Covid-19 variant was not yet known. He said the ministry on Thursday met with the provincial health departments to prepare a Covid-19 resurgence plan.

Professor Tulio de Oliviera said the variant was detected in multiple samples in private and public laboratories in the province. He said that the variant was also spreading across other provinces. De Oliviera said the variant had many mutations and the scientists would continue to study its effects. He said scientists did not know much about the variant as of yet.

The B.1.1.529 variant was also detected in Hong Kong as well as Botswana. NICD acting director Professor Adrian Puren said it was not surprising that a new variant was detected in the country.

“Although the data is limited, our experts are working overtime with all the established surveillance systems to understand the new variant and what the potential implications could be. Developments are occurring at a rapid pace and the public has our assurance that we will keep them up to date.”

ALSO READ: Over 40% of SA’s adult population now vaccinated

Head of the Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response at the NICD, Dr Michelle Groome, said the health authorities remained on high alert and were studying the virus’ development. Groome said non-pharmaceutical interventions were important amid the emergence of the new variant.

“This means that individuals should get vaccinated, wear masks, practice healthy hand hygiene, maintain social distance and gather in well-ventilated spaces,” she said.

“Individual compliance to preventative measures can have a great collective impact in limiting the spread of the new variant.” In a social media post, the NIDC urged people not to panic as there was nothing odd about a virus mutating and developing new variants.

ALSO READ: Gauteng’s Covid-19 cases continue to rise, as 14 million people fully jabbed

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