NEW COVID VARIANT: WHAT WE KNOW

@BNODesk

NEW COVID VARIANT: WHAT WE KNOW
– B.1.1.529, to be named Nu
– 32 mutations in spike protein
– Earliest known case: South Africa, Nov. 12
– Fears it could be more transmissible, evade immunity
– UK & Israel impose travel bans
– SA reports 2,465 new cases, up 321% from last week

NEW COVID VARIANT: WHAT WE KNOW
– B.1.1.529, to be named Nu
– 32 mutations in spike protein
– Earliest known case: South Africa, Nov. 12
– Fears it could be more transmissible, evade immunity
– UK & Israel impose travel bans
– SA reports 2,465 new cases, up 321% from last week

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) November 26, 2021

We have launched a tracker for confirmed and probable cases of B.1.1.529, the new coronavirus variant. It will be updated several times a day t.co/riXJmwdnoq pic.twitter.com/L4YhkphiMZ

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) November 26, 2021

Five quick tweets on the new variant B.1.1.529

Caveat first: data here is *very* preliminary, so everything could change. Nonetheless, better safe than sorry.

1) Based on the data we have, this variant is out-competing others *far* faster than Beta and even Delta did 🚩🚩 pic.twitter.com/R2Ac4e4N6s

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) November 25, 2021

3) Aside from its rapid rise in South Africa, the other key reason for concern here is that the specific mutations that B.1.1.529 has are — based on what we’ve seen with other variants — known to be associated with greater transmissibility & immune evasion t.co/xRCvwp1eDG

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) November 25, 2021

5) But what data we do have is clearly cause for concern.

Our preliminary story, from @donatopmancini @mroliverbarnes t.co/yT6nEjT8Gk

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) November 25, 2021