A new variant of Covid discovered in South Africa may have increased transmissibility, according to scientists.
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The Covid C.1.2 variant, first discovered in May, was detected in August in six of South Africa's nine provinces, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritius, Portugal, New Zealand and Switzerland.
The mutations are “associated with increased transmissibility” and an increased ability to evade antibodies, according to research published by South African teams including KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
A new research center specializing in the technology used to create the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines has launched in the United Kingdom.
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Those working at the center, in the northeast of England, said they would work with government and industry to help protect the world from future pandemics and infectious diseases.
The new facility will expand its capacity at an existing site in Darlington and is expected to be ready in November, with training and skills-building courses for technicians and scientists starting in January.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use mRNA (messenger RNA) which carries instructions that tell the body to produce a specific tool that can be used to fight disease.
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In addition to coronavirus, such technology could be used to treat HIV, cancer and heart disease, scientists involved in the new center said.
Dr Lucy Foley, director of Biologics at CPI, described the use of RNA as a “much more refined way” to treat disease. These products are considered much quicker to manufacture and could offer a more promising way to treat disease in the future if the cost of the goods can be reduced, she added.
