Zim scientist part of virus breakthrough

A ZIMBABWEAN scientist Dr Stanford Kwenda is part of a group of South Africa-based researchers that have made a vital discovery after working tirelessly to find a cure for Covid-19.

The media in South Africa reports that Dr Kwenda is among a team from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) who have successfully sequenced South Africa’s first SARS-COV-2 genome.

The full list of medical scientists involved in South Africa’s first SARS-COV-2 genome includes Dr Arshad Ismail, Dr Zamantungwa Khumalo, Dr Phillip Senzo Mtshali, Florah Mnyameni, Dr Mushal Allam and Dr Jinal Bhiman.

The team of researchers were able to sequence the first SARS-COV-2 genome in South Africa, which will provide a genetic “fingerprint” that can help scientists understand and contain the spread of Covid-19.

“Much like you look more similar to your siblings and cousins than you do to a person chosen at random, this fingerprint of viruses can be used to organise the samples into clusters and thus understand the spread of the disease,” said Peter van Heusden, SANBI researcher. — zimbabwevoice.com.