South Africa Covid-19 Variant Responsible For 16 Fold Increase In Zambia Cases

According to a report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a variant of the coronavirus first detected in South Africa has caused a 16-fold increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Zambia in the last month.

The South African mutation, known as B.1.351, was first detected in Zambia in December 2020. Scientists believe it is able to spread more quickly and efficiently than the original strain. 

Daily average cases in Zambia rose from 44 in the early part of December, to more than 700 by January. 

The CDC believes that the South African variant arrived in Zambia via the two countries many trade and tourism links, despite not sharing a land border.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health confirmed a further 854 cases of Covid-19 in Zambia as well as 9 deaths related to the disease.

Case numbers are now slowly coming down, having peaked at above 1,300 daily in mid-January.