The findings of a range of tests and analyses conducted on the latest Covid-19 variant, C.1.2, were recently released.
The C.1.2 variant was first discovered by South African scientists in May, according to Prof Wolfgang Preiser, head of medical virology at Stellenbosch University. The findings, released in August, show that the variant is not yet a cause for concern, said Preiser.
Preiser is one of the scientists that form part of the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA), a coalition effort involving scientific institutions and personnel across the country that aims to monitor the development and spread of Covid-19.
The C.1.2 Covid-19 variant is a genetically distinct mutation in the Covid-19 lineage so far. The variant was discovered by a group of South African scientists from the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa. PHOTO:Sourced/Canva
“We are monitoring [C.1.2] closely to see if it has fulfilled the criteria that would make it a variant of interest or concern, but so far we have not yet seen it,” said Preiser.
According to a statement by the World Health Organization (WHO), a Covid-19 variant becomes a variant of interest when genetic changes that affect virus characteristics occur, and when the variant is the cause of significant transmission within a community. Variants of concern occur when variants are found to be more transmissible and decrease the effectiveness of public health measures.
Although the C.1.2 variant has been identified in eight provinces across South Africa so far, the “number of samples in which it has been identified remains very small”, explained Maret Lesch, the Cape Winelands District communications manager for the Western Cape Health Department, in email correspondence with MatieMedia.
“Your best protection against Covid-19 is getting vaccinated and continuing to adhere to safety measures, such as wearing a mask,” said Maret Lesch, Cape Winelands District communications manager for the Western Cape Health Department. PHOTO: Nicola Spingies
C.1.2 and the media
In relation to the media’s recent reports on the C.1.2 variant, Preiser expressed concern about the tendency towards scaremongering in reportage on Covid-19 developments.
“There is a fine line between alarming people and hiding findings. One needs to keep a level head and not exaggerate any potential threat,” said Preiser.
This point was also made by Graeme Codrington, a scenario planner at TomorrowToday Global. The media is making “significant errors when reporting about Covid variants” by not differentiating between scientific papers that have not yet been peer-reviewed, and conclusive studies, according to Codrington.
“[News reporters] don’t differentiate between preview scientific papers, which are released by researchers before they do deeper analysis or have their initial findings peer-reviewed,” noted Codrington. “These are often reported as if they’re definitive studies.”
In the case of the new Covid-19 strain discovered in May, those reading the news should verify what they read across multiple news sources, and understand that the variants are not coming from South Africa, but are merely being identified by South African experts, added Codrington.
If this is not done, “the significant implication is that the country is lodged in people’s minds as dangerous and a hotbed of Covid”, said Codrington.
Lesch emphasised that the public’s best protection against Covid-19 is to get vaccinated, and continue to adhere to safety measures such as wearing a mask.
Prof Wolfgang Preiser, head of medical virology at Stellenbosch University, explains why it is important for South Africans to be aware of what gets reported on during the pandemic.