A variant of the new coronavirus with the most known mutations – 34, was discovered in Tanzania, the Daily Mail reported.
It is the most distinctive from the original Wuhan strain, including compared to variants from Kent, South Africa and India. A.VOI.V2 was first identified in three passengers tested at an airport in Angola after arriving from Tanzania in mid-February.
Of the 34 changes, 14 are of the thorn protein, with which the virus attaches to the human cell. In comparison, the British variant has 17 significant genetic changes, eight of which are of the thorn protein, and the South African variant has less.
The discoverer of the variant is Professor Tulio de Oliveira. He describes it as the most divergent among those developed from the original Wuhan strain. The British and South African versions are not on the same line because they can be traced to a strain that was common in Europe last summer.
There is still not enough data for scientists to say whether the Tanzanian version is more dangerous than the existing ones. It is also unknown how common it is because not enough genetic research is being done in sub-Saharan Africa.
Professor de Oliveira has published a report on the discovery with the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, the Angolan Ministry of Health, the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Universities of Rio de Janeiro, Oxford and Cape Town.
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