When the vaccines being used in the US were put to the test this summer and fall, they nailed it, virtually conquering the virus into submission. But even if E484K -- alone or in combination with other mutations in the variant -- ends up being a problem, the variant likely won't escape all the antibodies produced by vaccines, considering that the vaccines produce many antibodies. After months of trying to get her class under control, the teacher finally nails it. Portuguese mariner Bartolomeu Dias was the first European to explore the coastline of South Africa in 1488 while attempting to discover a trade route to the Far East via the southernmost cape of South Africa, which he named Cabo das Tormentas, meaning Cape of Storms.. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. The new strategy aims to provide the basis for more inclusive services so that LGBT communities have the necessary tools to realise their health and human rights goals.27 This new child -- this new little rascal -- won't sit down. The variant originally identified in the U.K. has also been discovered in some European countries and the U.S., prompting many nations to ban flights from the U.K. For its part, the U.K. has banned visitors from South Africa. By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent, Updated 0042 GMT (0842 HKT) January 13, 2021. 10 Interesting Facts About South Africa | Best Countries | US News She gets them to sit still in their chairs. In 1647, a Dutch vessel, the Haarlem, was wrecked in the present-day Table Bay. "I'm incredibly worried about the South African variant, and that's why we took the action that we did to restrict all flights from South Africa," he told the BBC's "Today" program. All Rights Reserved. E484K isn't only in the variant first found in South Africa -- it's recently been found in a variant, That variant hasn't been reported in other countries. On Monday, the U.K. began its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after starting to deploy the Pfizer/BioNTech shot in December. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Dutch Settlement in South Africa. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland (Multi Country Guide) by Lonely Planet , James Bainbridge, et al. The WHO has said further investigations are required "to understand the impact of specific mutations on viral properties and the effectiveness of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.". It is bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho (which is completely surrounded by South Africa). A patient with the Covid-19 breaths in oxygen in the Covid-19 ward at Khayelitsha Hospital, about 35km from the centre of Cape Town, on December 29, 2020. While the attention has been focused on E484K, scientists are also keeping an eye on other mutations in the variant. The U.K.'s new variant was first identified in Kent, southeast England, in December. More Buying Choices $5.44 (32 used & new offers) For media enquiries. What they found is that E484K challenges the ability of some antibodies to neutralize the virus. Both countries are struggling with a surge in Covid-19 infections, which have been attributed in large part to mutations in the virus that make it more transmissible. Nonetheless, the U.K.'s hospitals are under pressure from a dramatic rise in infections and admissions. If this mutation happened in a matter of months, other problematic mutations could follow. But since then, parts of the virus have sometimes swapped themselves out for new bits and sometimes those new bits don't behave. The Acting WHO Representative to South Africa is Dr Clever Brain Chirombo. A variant of the coronavirus identified in South Africa is more problematic than the mutation found in the U.K., Britain's health minister said Monday, as both strains spread rapidly. Paperback $20.99 $ 20. 4.6 out of 5 stars 96. It's a sobering wake up call.". Please email afwcozamedia [at] who.int if you have any media queries. JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The United States ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, spent 10 days in intensive care with COVID-19 and is now recuperating at her residence, she announced Monday. Experts note that while the new variant spreads more easily, it does not appear to make it deadlier. South Africa has a population of approximately 55 million people comprising of diverse culture, religion, origin, and languages. Our currency rankings show that the most popular South Africa Rand exchange rate is the USD to ZAR rate. South Africa currently has more than 8,500 people hospitalized with COVID-19, surpassing the previous high of 8,300 recorded in August. 1. E484K is called an "escape mutant" because it's been shown it might be able to escape some of the antibodies produced by the vaccine. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC the variant found in South Africa was especially concerning. Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team. Some of the major ethnic South Africans include Zulu, Basotho, Venda, Xhosa, … A Division of NBCUniversal. Based on what they've seen so far, they say they highly doubt E484K will render the coronavirus vaccines useless. He said there were questions as to whether the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines would be "disabled" in the presence of such mutations. Many parts of the country are already effectively under lockdown, with all but essential shops closed and people told to stay at home as much as possible. “We are seeing a much earlier and much sharper rise in the second wave or resurgence than we anticipated,” Prof. Ian Sanne, a member of the advisory committee, told South Africa’s News24. But after a while, one child leaves the class, and another takes his place. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. The new strain has become dominant in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. 82 Interesting facts about South Africa. "And the mutations associated with the South African form are really pretty substantial changes in the structure of the (virus' spike) protein.". The South African education system, characterized by crumbling infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms and relatively poor educational outcomes, is perpetuating inequality and as a result failing too many of its children, with the poor hardest hit according to a new report published by Amnesty International today. 351 Francis Baard Street Pretoria, South Africa PO Box 13113 7th Floor, Metropark Building. Making it a popular destination for many foreigners looking to study aboard. Dr. John Bell of Oxford University said Sunday the variant identified in South Africa was worrisome in this regard, however. South Africa, with more than 1.2 million reported cases, including 32,824 deaths, accounts for more than 30% of the total for the continent of 54 countries and 1.3 billion people. Home - SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, … Get it as soon as Thu, Jan 21. (CNN)Scientists have identified an "escape mutant" that may decrease the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines. In 2017, there were 270,000 new HIV infections and 110,000 South Africans died from AIDS-related illnesses.3 In 2017, the South African government released a national LGBT HIV strategy for the first time, recognising that these groups have specific needs that have been overlooked in the past. Astrazeneca-Oxford vaccine lead Sir John Bell on approval process and clinical trials. The new strain has become dominant in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. For all the latest news updates, South African news & anywhere in the world. The South African variant, 501.V2, is more infectious than the original COVID-19 virus and is dominant in the country. "It just goes back to the first rule of virology: don't underestimate your virus. "It's going to be, over time, likely chipping away at vaccine efficacy, but we're not going to fall of a cliff tomorrow.". That variant has now spread to 12 other countries. Rather, they think there's a possibility the mutation -- on its own or in combination with other mutations -- could decrease the efficacy of the vaccine against the variant. The South African is an independent, no agenda and bias online news platform that gives the latest news updates. We want to hear from you. Questions have been raised over how the coronavirus vaccines will work against the new variants. The U.K. authorities alerted the World Health Organization to its emergence. Sigal, Moore, and other scientists who are studying the E484K mutation still have to complete their work in the lab to see if the vaccine is less effective against this new variant. South Africa time zones and time zone map with current time in the largest cities. The teacher's technique for calming the children doesn't work with him. The South African Rand is the currency of South Africa. Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF. After first experiencing “fever, chills, a sore throat and fatigue,” Marks went into a hospital on Dec. 28 when her symptoms worsened to receive “supplemental oxygen and therapeutic treatment,” … "This is a very, very significant problem ... and it's even more of a problem than the U.K. new variant.". Earlier in December, WHO chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan tried to allay fears over the variants, telling the BBC it was "very unlikely" that the latest mutations would cause the current vaccines not to work. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Several experts have said they expect vaccines — such as those from Pfizer and BioNTech, and the Oxford University/AstraZeneca — to protect against the new strains. The first rule of virology: do n't underestimate your virus does n't work with him 56 million.! Newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox, and another takes his place people... 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