Scientists in South Africa have discovered a new Covid-19 variant, news agency AFP has reported.
The news agency quoted scientists as saying that the new variant has multiple mutations.
The announcement has come on the back of recent rise in Covid-19 cases in South Africa.
The new variant was first flagged on November 23 on social media by Dr. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London. Dr Peacock noted that the 'incredibly high amount of spike mutations suggest that the new variant could be of real concern'.
Named B.1.1.529, the variant was first spotted in Botswana and the other circulating countries are Hong Kong and South Africa. According to The Guardian, only 10 cases have been confirmed by genomic sequencing.