New Variant Alert: The New COVID-19 Variant B.1.1.529 Has Twice As Many Mutations

There’s a new COVID-19 variant that’s potentially more transmissible is harder to evade regardless if you are vaccinated and it’s led to countries imposing more travel bans.

The new variant is B.1.1.529, and it was first identified in South Africa, CNN Health reports. While Dr. Anthony Fauci says “there’s no indication” of B.1.1.529 being in the United States right now, reports say the variant is spreading quickly throughout South Africa and beyond. It’s already reached Botswana, Hong Kong and Belgium, CNN World and CNN Health reports.

Sky News reports that there have been six African countries that have imposed travel restrictions. “UKHSA (U.K. Health Security Agency) is investigating a new variant. More data is needed, but we’re taking precautions now,” reads a tweet from U.K.’s Health Secretary Sajid Javid. Other U.K. experts say the variant is the “worst one we’ve seen so far.”

B.1.1.529 has 30 mutations so far, double the Delta variant’s number, Sky News reports. Thankfully, it can be detected with a normal PCR test.

“Right now, we’re getting the material together with our South African colleagues to get a situation where you could actually directly test it. So, right now you’re talking about sort of like a red flag that this might be an issue — but we don’t know,” said Fauci on Friday.

“Once you test it, you’ll know for sure whether or not it does or does not evade the antibodies that we make — for example against the virus, through a vaccine,” he continued. “The answer is we don’t know right now, but we’re going to find out for sure.”