A new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa with a high number of mutations has raised concerns among scientists and triggered travel restrictions by a number of countries amid fears of coronavirus transmissions.  

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said 22 positive cases of the new variant have been recorded in the country following genomic sequencing.

According to the scientists, the new variant, called B.1.1.529, has a very unusual constellation of mutations, which are worrying because they could help it evade the body’s immune response and make it more transmissible.