Prognosis
Most Mutated Covid-19 Variant Yet Found in Tanzania Travelers
- South African scientists behind discovery sent report to WHO
- Tanzania’s recently deceased president ignored the disease
Photographer: Vladimir Gerdo/TASS/Getty Images
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The most mutated variant of the coronavirus yet was found in travelers from Tanzania, prompting scientists to call for greater monitoring in a country that has largely ignored the pandemic.
A report submitted to the World Health Organization and regional bodies shows the strain has 10 more mutations than found on any other version, according to Tulio de Oliveira, director of Krisp, a scientific institute that carries out genetic testing for 10 African nations. Krisp, which discovered a new strain in South Africa last year that propelled a resurgence of infections in the country, found the new variant in travelers arriving in Angola from Tanzania.