News > South African scientists keeping an eye on new COVID variant with unusually high mutation rate

South African scientists keeping an eye on new COVID variant with unusually high mutation rate

Scientists in South Africa are monitoring a new coronavirus variant with an unusually high mutation rate, and whose frequency has gradually increased in recent months, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said Monday.

While the majority of South Africa's coronavirus cases are currently caused by the Delta variant — first detected in India —C.1.2. caught scientists' attention because its mutation is almost twice as fast as observed in other global variants.