Researchers have recently flagged a new COVID variant identified as C.1.2 as "concerning." However, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the COVID variant does not appear to be spreading.

WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris noted that the new COVID variant does not appear to be increasing in circulation, Global News reported. Harris said the agency has not yet classified the variant first discovered in South Africa as a "variant of concern."

The variant was first detected in May, and it has spread to a majority of the country's provinces and seven other countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.

According to a study published last week that is yet to be peer-reviewed, South African scientists noted that the C.1.2 possessed a large number of mutations, which includes increased transmissibility and resistance to antibodies fighting the disease.

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C.1.2 COVID Variant

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa is still observing the frequency of the C.1.2 and examine how it behaves. The Guardian reported that tests to gauge the impact of the mutations it possesses on infectiousness and vaccine resistance are ongoing.

It has not yet fulfilled WHO's criteria to qualify it as a variant of concern or interest. However, an alert was issued due to the particular mutations that C.1.2 contains.

University of Sydney's Central Clinical School, Dr. Megan Steain, said it contains key mutations that they saw in other variants that have become variants of interest or concern.

Steain noted that when they see those particular mutations, they would like to keep an eye on the variant to see what it is going to do. The said mutations can affect things such as its immune response hesitancy and faster transmission.

The medical expert admitted that there is a lot of work to be done. She added that they are still at a point where the said variant could die out, with the prevalence being really low.

Steain assured that there was no need to panic. But it is important to keep an eye on other variants out there and see how they develop.

Dr. Daniel Rhoads, section head of microbiology at the Cleveland Clinic, said he would not lose any sleep over the new COVID variant. Rhoads added that the Delta variant is the real problem now and much more concerning for him, USA Today reported.

William Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, echoed the same sentiments of other medical experts.

Hanage said the C.1.2 does not go toe-to-toe with Delta. Other variants such as lambda and gamma had been prevalent in South America, but they did not do much damage in the U.S.

Hanage noted that C.1.2 has to be something special to catch up with how advanced Delta is already. He said that at the moment, the variant does not show any signs of becoming like that.

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Written by: Mary Webber

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