The first case of the new highly transmissible Covid omicron variant has been detected in South Africa.
On Saturday the Department of Health said it had been alerted to the presence of the new XBB.1.5 variant and was meeting with scientists to get more information on its transmissibility and severity.
XBB.1.5 more virulent than delta
It added that the XBB 1.5 variant is five times more virulent than the delta variant and has a higher mortality rate. It is also not easy to detect.
The department advised South Africans to start wearing face masks again due to the variant being “different” and “deadly”.
Unlike other Covid variants, patients with XBB.1.5 don’t have a cough or fever.
The symptoms of the Covid XBB.1.5 variant can include:
- Joint pain,
- Headache,
- Neck pain,
- Upper back pain,
- Pneumonia,
- Lack of appetite.
‘Kraken variant’
Virologist Professor Tulio de Oliveira said the variant was discovered by Stellenbosch University’s Network for Genomics Surveillance on 27 December.
He added that there have been no increases in cases, hospitalisations or deaths in South Africa so far.
XBB.1.5 has been nicknamed the ‘kraken variant’ by Canadian biology professor Dr. Ryan Gregory. A kraken is a mythical giant tentacled sea monster from Scandinavian folklore.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) senior epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible Omicron sub-variant detected so far.
At the beginning of January, the WHO said the XBB variant was estimated to be responsible for 44.1% of Covid cases in the United States and had also been detected in 28 other countries.
Watch: Concerns grow over new Covid-19 variant
South Africa’s Department of Health warned that XBB.1.5 takes less time to reach extreme severity, despite sometimes showing no obvious symptoms.
“This strain of the virus is not found in the nasopharyngeal (throat and nose) region and directly affects the lungs for a relatively short period of time,” it said.
“Several patients diagnosed with Covid-Omicron XBB were classified as afebrile and pain free, but x-rays showed mild chest pneumonia.”
‘Very contagious’
Nasal swabs for Covid-Omicron XBB often produce false negative tests, it added.
“This means that the virus can spread in the community and directly infect the lungs, causing viral pneumonia, which in turn causes acute respiratory distress.
“This explains why the Covid-Omicron XBB has become something very contagious, highly virulent and lethal.”
The department said South Africans should start taking precautions to prevent infections such as:
- avoiding crowded places,
- keeping a distance of 1.5m, even in open spaces,
- wearing a double-layer mask,
- wearing a suitable mask,
- washing hands frequently.
