Israel tracks spread of South African COVID-19 mutation

To date, 44 cases of the South African variant have been detected in Israel, and they have made 124 contacts through 36 infection chains.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

Israel has discovered several more cases of the South African variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as the Health Ministry is closely tracking the spread of the variants in the country.

The Ministry of Health stated Sunday that its central laboratory for viruses documented an additional 14 cases of the South African variant.

One of the patients had previously been infected with corona and was re-infected with the South African variant.

To date, 44 cases of the South African variant have been detected in Israel, and they have made 124 contacts through 36 infection chains.

The Ministry of Health stated it will continue to conduct an extensive nationwide survey among verified Corona patients to examine the spread of variants in Israel through genetic testing.

The South African variant as discovered in Israel about a month ago.

A variant first seen in South Africa called B.1.351 or 501Y.V2, has a different pattern of mutations that causes physical alterations in the structure of the spike protein, the part of the spike protein most important for attaching to cells.

This could possibly help the virus partly escape the effects of vaccines currently in circulation.

This variant is not more deadly, but experts say it is far more contagious than the variant that has spread across the globe.

The UK, South African, and Los Angeles variants have been discovered in Israel. The UK variant has been blamed for an increased infection rate, dangerous infections in pregnant women, and a spike in illness among children.

The UK variant has rapidly become the dominant one in Israel

Israel has closed its skies almost completely to block the entry of other variants into the country.