Scientists have said the new variant has a “constellation of new mutations,” but it’s unclear how infectious it is. This comes after the Delta variant went into “self-extinction” in Japan due to multiple mutations.
“Everyone that gets infected with the same viruses that transmitting and have the numbers to transmit to the population…and that it is at the moment what we should be focusing at,” stated Professor Tulio De Oliveira, Director of South African Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation. “Not really on the origin of the variants, we will never know if the origins originate in South Africa, neighboring country or someone that arrived by plane.”