But according to a researcher from South Africa's KwaZulu Natal Research, Innovation and Sequencing platform, which is studying the variant known as five or one y dot fee to, it is unlikely to completely negates the immunizing effects of vaccines.

Infectious diseases expert Richard Lascelles said the concerns from scientists in Britain struggling with its own fast spreading form of covert 19, did not appear to be based on any new information.

I think they're voicing the same concerns that we articulated when, when we kind of first released this information that that the pattern of mutations did give us concern.

Um, not just because of the five or one which which this is similar to the UK period and we think may be responsible for the increase transmissibility.

But we were also concerned about some of the other mutations in the spike protein that in other experimental work has been shown to be, um, to be able to escape from the antibodies, the neutralizing antibodies.

Yeah, South African researchers are investigating the effects of mutations in the variant, including with the natural immunity, provides protection against reinfection from the new variant.

Lessel said preliminary results may be ready by the end of the week.

But he added that many of the available vaccines induce abroad immune response, meaning there may still be effective.

They produce antibodies that will target different parts off the spike protein, not just necessarily one part of the protein.

And that's why we think that although these mutations may have some effect, they're very unlikely to completely, uh, negate the effect off the vaccines on the different vaccines.

South Africa has recorded more than 1.1 million cases and over 30,000 deaths, the most in the continent's.

The Health Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.