WHO announces 4 African countries have South Africa covid-19 variant virus

World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Botswana, Zambia,  Gambia and Kenya have detected a variant of Covid-19 virus that was first identified in South Africa last year.

WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, attributed the spread to the movement of people across the continent.

Dr Moeti said it may also be that the new strain is circulating in different African countries but have not been identified.

He told told journalists in a virtual press conference that they are now working with scientists in different laboratories with the capacity to determine the complete DNA of the virus to boost their surveillance

A team of researchers from three South African Universities working with National Institute for Communicable Diseases found that the current vaccines being used may not be effective against this new strain.