South African scientists have discovered two new sublineages of the Omicron coronavirus variant, said Tulio de Oliveira, who runs the gene-sequencing institutions in the country.
The lineages have been named BA.4 and BA.5, but Mr de Oliveira said the lineages have not caused a spike in infections in South Africa and have been found in samples from a number of countries.
“Given the very low infections, hospitalisations and deaths in South Africa, we are alerted about the continued evolution but not concerned,” said Mr de Oliveira.
“All of the laboratory science on virus neutralisation and vaccines are already under way and we are strengthening genomic surveillance.”
South Africa and Botswana were the first to discover Omicron last November and South Africa was the first country to be hit by a wave of infections caused by the strain.
But the number of deaths and people requiring hospital treatment were a fraction of those caused by the Delta variant, even as daily cases hit a record high in December.
The sublineages have also been found in samples from Botswana, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and the UK, said Mr de Oliveira.
So far, four samples containing the sublineages have been identified in Botswana and 23 in South Africa, the World Health Organisation said in a statement.
“There is no cause for alarm” said Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa.
“We are working with scientists in Botswana and South Africa to gain complete behavioural knowledge of these sublineages.”
The two lineages have similar mutations on their spike proteins — the part of the virus that helps the virus attach to human cells — to the BA.2 sublineage, which appears to be more infectious than the original Omicron strain.
The two sublineages differ from each other in terms of amino acid mutations outside the spike protein, Mr Moeti said.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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Jawan
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
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Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
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