"There is still no evidence to prove that the new variant of covid-19, identified in South Africa, is more infectious or resistant to vaccines". This is the position defended by the Portuguese virologist, Paulo Paixão about the new variant of covid-19 B11.529, detected in South Africa and Botswana that so far has a "high number of mutations".

According to the specialist who was speaking to "SIC Notícias", any new variant is usually linked to two things - on the one hand, increased infectiousness, and on the other, resistance to vaccination, and since you have a lot of mutations there, they raise that alarm.

"So far in fact, there is no proof that it is more infectious or that it is more resistant to the vaccine. And if a variant is not transmitted more easily than, for example, the Delta, it will not be able to impose itself and will disappear", considers Paulo Paixão.

For the virologist, the ideal is the observance of basic measures to prevent covid-19. "A more transmissible virus doesn't mean that it will go through the mask better, it means that if I don't have the mask, I more easily infect the person in front of me," he stresses.