![]() There are currently four VOCs (Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta) and four VOIs (Eta, Iota, Kappa and Lambda) in circulation globally. Depending on their clinical and epidemiological profiles, these are either designated as variants of interest (VOI) or variants of concern (VOC) 5, and ongoing genomic surveillance is essential for early detection of such variants. Some emerging variants accumulate mutations within the spike region that result in increased transmissibility and/or immune evasion, making them of increased public health importance 2– 4. ![]() Ongoing waves of infection result in the selection of SARS-CoV-2 variants with novel constellations of mutations within the viral genome 1– 4. More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 remains a global public health concern. While the phenotypic characteristics and epidemiology of C.1.2 are being defined, it is important to highlight this lineage given its concerning constellations of mutations. Of greater concern is the accumulation of additional mutations (C136F, Y449H and N679K) which are also likely to impact neutralization sensitivity or furin cleavage and therefore replicative fitness. C.1.2 contains multiple substitutions (R190S, D215G, N484K, N501Y, H655Y and T859N) and deletions (Y144del, L242-A243del) within the spike protein, which have been observed in other VOCs and are associated with increased transmissibility and reduced neutralization sensitivity. ![]() The emergence of C.1.2 was associated with an increased substitution rate, as was previously observed with the emergence of the Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants of concern (VOCs). C.1.2 has since been detected across the majority of the provinces in South Africa and in seven other countries spanning Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania. This lineage was first identified in May 2021 and evolved from C.1, one of the lineages that dominated the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections in South Africa and was last detected in January 2021. Here we report the identification of a potential variant of interest assigned to the PANGO lineage C.1.2. Ongoing SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance world-wide has improved our ability to rapidly identify such variants. SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest have been associated with increased transmissibility, neutralization resistance and disease severity.
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