The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the South African variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been detected in four other African countries.
WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said the variant has been seen in Botswana, Zambia, The Gambia and Kenya, attributing the spread to the movement of people across the continent.
Speaking in a virtual press conference, Moeti said: “It may also be that the new strain is circulating in different African countries but have not been identified. We are now working with scientists in different laboratories with the capacity to determine the complete DNA of the virus to boost their surveillance.”
Kenya’s Health Director General Patrick Amoth said that two South African passengers who had travelled to Kenya a month ago had it.
“Through routine testing for anyone coming into the country, we were able to detect the new strain from samples collected. The two men are already back in South Africa,” he said.
South Africa is the country worst-hit by the pandemic in Africa.
A team of researchers from three South African Universities working with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases found that the current vaccines being used may not be effective against this new strain.
