A new COVID-19 strain variant has reportedly been detected in the country.
Infection rate yet to be determined
According to a report by News Straits Times, the new strain was first detected in the Benteng LD cluster in Sabah.Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told the new portal that the strain, dubbed A701V, was discovered among 60 samples taken from the cluster.
The new mutation, as well as a spike protein mutations, have been reported in countries such as Australia, South America, the Netherlands and our neighbour Singapore.
"But we have yet to know the clinical impact of this variant, its infectivity rate or aggressiveness," he was quoted as saying.
He added that the strain will be monitored to check its impact on the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine.
With the discovery of this new strain, we really can't wait for the vaccine to be available in February.