More Contagious, The US Reports Findings Of A South African Covid-19 Mutation

Illustration. (Mufid Majnun / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Health Authority of the State of South Carolina, United States (US) reported the findings of a new mutation of the coronavirus from South Africa, Thursday, January 28 local time.

Authorities said the infection was found in two unrelated people and no known travel history of the two. Other information is not explained related to privacy.

“The arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 (of South African origin) mutation in our state is an important reminder for all South Carolina citizens. That the fight against this deadly virus is far from over”, said the Director of Public Health of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Management, Dr. Brannon Traxler, launch Al Jazeera.

The South African mutation was first identified in December and appears to be spreading faster. It carries a mutation that allows it to bind more easily to human cells. There are no data yet to suggest the South African strain is more deadly.

This South African mutation of the virus that causes COVID-19 is one of three mutations that have emerged recently, which has raised concern among public health authorities around the world.

“At this time, we have no evidence that the infection with this variant can cause more severe disease. Like the British and Brazilian variants. Preliminary data show that this mutation can spread more easily and quickly than the others", the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement.

More than 430,000 people have died in the US from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The new Biden administration estimates the death toll will reach 500,000 by the end of February.

President Joe Biden announced his intention to speed up vaccine shipments to America in the coming weeks. On Tuesday he announced the US Government would purchase 200 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for delivery by mid-September.