Nobody has really been talking about the pandemic and Coronavirus in the past few weeks after restrictions were lifted and all of our freedoms were returned, but here’s some distressing news that might cause you to rethink everything after a new variant that’s twice as infectious has been detected in multiple countries – including the UK.

Featured Image VIA

The C.1.2, variant was first recorded in South Africa back in May and has now since been found in New Zealand, England, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, Portugal and Switzerland. Here’s what a South African study from their Institute on the variant had to say about it:

Image VIA

C.1.2 is highly mutated beyond C.1 and all other VOCs (Variants of Concern) and VOIs (Variants of Interest) globally with between 44-59 mutations away from the original Wuhan Hu-1 virus.

We are currently assessing the impact of this variant on antibody neutralisation following SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa.

C.1.2 contains multiple substitutions and deletions within the spike protein, which have been observed in other Variants of Concern and are associated with increased transmissibility and reduced neutralisation sensitivity.

Of greater concern is the accumulation of additional mutations which are also likely to impact neutralisation sensitivity or furin cleavage and therefore replicative fitness.

The study hasn’t yet been peer reviewed, but if you didn’t understand all those big words it’s basically saying that it’s way more infectious than any other variants and also likely to be more resistant against vaccines. Great.

I guess with autumn starting tomorrow it might be time to get more worried about it in this country as I suppose it’s possible that we might head back into another lockdown? Say it ain’t so.

For more of the same, check out this woman who said she wouldn’t leave the house because of COVID-19 whilst standing in the street. Make it make sense.