Researchers are closely observing a new and highly mutated strain of coronavirus that has recently emerged in South Africa.
The C.1.2 Covid strain was first discovered in South Africa in May during a recent third wave of infections in the country.
A report, which is yet to be peer reviewed, has been identified in a number of South African provinces and has since spread to seven countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
Scientists believe that the variant contains between 44 and 59 mutations from the original virus detected in Wuhan, China.
A number of the mutations are similar to those seen in the Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants of concern.
Experts are now investigating whether or not the number of mutations could increase transmissibility or evade antibody protection from approved vaccines in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
The team behind the report wrote: “We are currently assessing the impact of this variant on antibody neutralisation following SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa.
“This variant has been detected throughout the third wave of infections in South Africa from May 2021 onwards and has been detected in seven other countries within Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The identification of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants is commonly associated with new waves of infection.”
It has not yet been identified as a variant of interest or variant of concern by the World Health Organisation due to a lack of data.
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19, said that there have only been a handful of cases of the strain been identified so far.
She tweeted: “To date, there are ~100 sequences of C.1.2 reported globally, the earliest reports from May 2021 from South Africa.
“At this time, C.1.2 dose not appear to be rising in circulation, but we need more sequencing to be conducted and shared globally.
“Monitoring and assessment of variants is ongoing and critically important to understand the evolution of this virus, in fighting Covid-19 and adapting strategies as needed.
“WHO appreciates researchers for sharing their findings with WHO and the global scientific community.”
No cases of the C.1.2 variant have been identified in the UK, according to the latest Government data.
South Africa currently remains on the Scottish Government’s red list for international travel. This means that any travellers arriving from the country to Scotland must spend at least 10 days in managed hotel quarantine.
People arriving from South Africa must take a test before travel and a further two during their period of self-isolation.
The Delta Covid variant, which was first discovered in India, remains the most dominant strain of the virus in Scotland.
Yesterday, the Scottish Government recorded almost 4,000 new infections over a 24-hour period.
Nicola Sturgeon has urged Scots to continue sticking with the rules amid a recent spike in case numbers across the country.
