Botswana's Presidential COVID-19 Task Force calls out Fake News Media on Nu COVID 19 Variant B.1.1.529
Media Release
New COVID 19 Variant detected in Botswana
The Presidential COVID-19 Task Force informs the public that four (4) cases of a new COVID-19 variant now known as B.1.1.529, were reported and recorded on Monday 22nd November 2021.
The four (4) cases were detected among travellers who tested SARS-COV-2 positive on routine pre travel testing. The variant tests were carried out as part of the routine genomic surveillance of SARS-COV-2 as prescribed in our COVID-19 response plan.
The preliminary report revealed that all the four had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. As part of the continuing investigations into the virus to establish and contain its local transmissions, contact tracing has revealed close contacts who are currently awaiting their results and the public will be informed regarding the outcome of the exercise.
The initial investigations on the virus have established that the new variant has a high number of mutations as compared to the locally predominant Delta variant. What this means is still unclear and under investigation. New variants have the potential to aftect severity of disease, how effective tests pick up the disease as well as potentially vaccine etticacy. At this moment, real world impact of the variant has not been established. Non-pharmaceutical interventions wearing of masks, social distancing, and avoiding unnecessary travels etc remain effective and therefore the public is advised to continue observing these.
The Presidential COVID-19 Task Force wishes to further dispel assertions made by some circulating social media reports associating these cases with HIV+ status of the participants.
Contrary to these reports, in which one newspaper claims that one case was from an HIV+ participant, is totally false as no HIV status of the clients was associated with these results. These media reports are unfortunate and factually flawed and should be viewed as such. The variant is still being studied and investigated and therefore, it would be premature to conclusively make these tvpes of assertions at this time.
The public is urged to take necessary precautions to protect themselves from COVID-19 as advised from time to time.
Thank you
Dr. K Masupu
Coordinator, Presidential COVID-19 Task Force
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Received this on WhatsApp, author unknown:
Once again the world's media is reporting: "South Africa has a new Covid variant" as if the variant started here and is infecting us all.
CAN I SAY THIS AGAIN, MORE LOUDLY FOR THE IDIOT JOURNALISTS AT THE BACK: South Africa has one of the most sophisticated and advanced infectious diseases infrastructure on the planet.
Some of the world's leading epidemiologists work in South Africa. We've had to develop these capabilities to deal with TB and AIDS and other diseases ravaging our continent.
It is no surprise that our medical system is the first in the world to identify new Covid variants. It is no surprise that we led the world in clinical trials of vaccines.
What IS a surprise is how lazy journalists write headlines: "New Covid variant in South Africa". No, this new Covid variant has been found in New Zealand, England, Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and other places. South African scientists isolated, sequenced and understood it first. Report THAT fact, but don't start all over again with putting "South Africa is unsafe" into people's heads.
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I KNEW IT!!! It's all BS!!! They don't think anyone knows or cares about SA, but here's an Official calling them out!!! One of the headlines on Yahoo this morning was about a "new variant in South Africa" & I wondered about it right off. Still trying to scare the world into taking their poison. Well, it's not gonna work! The world is wise to their sh*t!!
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The B.1.1.529 Variant will likely be named Nu by the WHO.[193] Identified in November 2021 in Botswana and South Africa;[194] one case had travelled to Hong Kong,[195][181] one confirmed case was identified in Israel in a traveler returning from Malawi,[196] along with two who returned from South Africa and one from Madagascar.[197] One confirmed case in Belgium, who had apparently acquired it in Egypt before November 11.[198]
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61 of 600 passengers on 2 flights from South Africa test positive for COVID-19 at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam (NOS)
🚨 Everyone of those passengers had produced and official Negative PCR test result in order to fly.
🚨 Either something is seriously wrong with South Africa’s testing methods and the labs need to be investigated or this is a manufactured crisis.
