France Detects First Case Of New African Variant Of COVID-19, More Easily Contagious

Illustration (Unsplash / Prasesh Shiwakoti)

JAKARTA - The French Ministry of Health confirmed that the first cases of the new variant of COVID-19 came from South Africa (South Africa). In mid-December, the South African authorities had indeed detected a new variant of the corona virus called 501.V2. This new variant of COVID-19 is reportedly more contagious, as found in the UK.

Quoting France24, Friday January 1, 2021, a new variant of COVID-19 from South Africa was found in France in a man who returned from South Africa, his home in the Haut-Rhin region bordering Switzerland. Apart from France, this new coronavirus mutation has also been found in Japan and England.

South Africa is the country hardest hit by COVID-19 on the African continent. The spike in COVID-19 in South Africa has brought the country to more than 1 million confirmed cases when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa holds an emergency meeting of the national COVID-19 command board. The new coronavirus variant in the country is more contagious and is rapidly becoming dominant in many areas of South Africa, according to experts.

Mediclinic International, among the top three private hospital chains in South Africa, said that the increase in severe cases had placed a very heavy burden on health care resources in South Africa. Staff, equipment and bedding to provide intensive care for seriously ill patients are very limited.

"The number of patients required to receive care at our hospital has exceeded the previous number during the first peak and the majority of our ICUs and high-care units are operating at capacity," said Mediclinic International, referring to the Western Cape area.

Strengthen the analysis

The World Health Organization (WHO) calls on African countries to increase genomic surveillance and analysis through a network of African genome sequencing laboratories to detect new mutations and strengthen efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Further analysis is underway to determine the full epidemiological significance of this mutation. Nigeria is also carrying out further investigations on variants identified in samples collected in August and October.

“The emergence of a new variant of COVID-19 is common. However, such viruses have a higher transmission rate or the possibility of increased pathogenicity is of great concern. Important investigations are underway to comprehensively understand the behavior of the new mutant virus and guide responses accordingly, ”said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The new variant emerged as COVID-19 cases increased in 47 countries in the African region, nearly reaching the peak seen in July. In the past 28 days, Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda have reported the highest number of new cases, accounting for 90 percent of cases of territorial transmission.

Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine has not yet reached South Africa. This is despite President Ramaphosa hoping that 10 percent of the country's 60 million people will be vaccinated in the first months of 2021.