Belgium reported on Friday that a test in an unvaccinated returnee had revealed the first case of infection with the new Covid-19 virus in Europe (SARS-CoV-2) variant first observed African in the south.
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The infection was diagnosed on November 22 and has now been confirmed to be a type of B.1.1.529 virus that was first recorded in southern Africa, Health Minister Frank Vandenbruk told a news conference.
Mark Van Ranst, one of Belgium’s leading virologists, said on Twitter that he had returned from Egyptian.
Vandenbruck emphasized that “this is a suspicious option, but we do not know if it is a very dangerous option.”
He added that Europe was suspending flights from southern Africa “as a precautionary measure”.
“So, a general precaution, but without panic,” the minister said, adding that the situation is currently being analyzed by the Covid-19 risk assessment team.
As reported, South Africa Scientists in the republic said on Thursday that they had identified a new variant of Covid-19 with a large number of mutations, which is to blame for the rapid increase in the number of infections.
In South Africa, the worst affected country in Covid-19, the number of new infections registered in a single day has increased tenfold since the beginning of the month, from 106 to around 1,200.
In response to this message, Great Britain banned all entry from six southern African countries – South Africa, Botswana, Esvatini, Lesotho, from Friday, Namibia a Zimbabwe. All of these countries will be added to Britain’s “red list”.
Israel has refused entry from these six countries, as well as from Mozambique.
Also European commision (EC) has announced that it will propose to suspend flights to the European Union (EU) from southern Africa.
Scientists believe the new variant may be more contagious than Covid-19 delta or Indian as well as more resistant to current Covid-19 vaccines.
The new variant, with the scientific designation B.1.1.529, “has a very high number of mutations,” said virologist Tulio de Oliveira. He added that World Health Organization (WHO) could name this option on Friday using a letter from the Greek alphabet.
The virologist said the new variant had also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong among travelers from South Africa.
Scientists say the new variant has at least 10 mutations, compared with two for the delta variant and three for the beta variant.
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