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November 26,2021

Andrew Campbell 

South Africa's Health Minister, Joe Phaahla, stated that a new COVID variant has been linked to an exponential rise in cases in the last few days, with experts suspecting that the variant known as B.1.1.529 is to blame. South Africa saw the number of new confirmed cases increase from just over 200 per day in recent weeks to 2,465 on November 24. 

In a media briefing, Professor Tulio de Oliveira, the director of South Africa's Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, said there were 50 mutations in total, with more than 30 on the spike protein, which is the target of most vaccines and the key the virus uses to enter our cells. The most recent mutation is the most heavily mutated version discovered thus far, and it has such a long list of mutations that one scientist described it as horrific, while others said it was the worst variant they had seen.

Although officials have expressed concern that the mutation could lead to immune evasion and increased virus transmissibility, it is too early to tell what effect the mutations will have on vaccine efficacy. It has so far been detected in South Africa, Botswana, and a South African traveler to Hong Kong, according to Health Minister Phaahla.

Also on November 25, UK Health Minister Sajid Javid announced that flights to the UK from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe will be suspended beginning November 26 at midday, and all six countries will be added to the red list, requiring UK residents and British and Irish nationals returning from those points of departure to undergo a 10-day hotel quarantine at their own expense.