The variants of the SARS-CoV-2 that caused the pandemic will determine the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected all over the world. New variants formed by the mutations of the virus stand out with their different features. The UK variant of which contagion is 70 percent greater has turned into the dominant variant causing more infections in the TRNC and Turkey in the last few months.

Although there are dozens of variants of SARS-CoV-2 that cause COVID-19, especially two variants have been watched with concern all over the world recently: South Africa and Brazil variants. The main feature of these variants is that they are more resistant to existing COVID-19 vaccines being developed. Therefore, preventing the spread of these variants is closely related to the success of ongoing vaccination.

An encouraging statement came from the Near East University, which started to carry out SARS-CoV-2 variant analyzes in its own laboratories. Near East University announced that no vaccine-resistant South African and Brazilian variants were found in the TRNC as a result of the analyzes performed with 50 samples previously diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 positive in COVID-19 PCR Diagnostic Laboratories. The most prominent feature of these variants is that they are resistant to existing vaccines.

Existing vaccines may be ineffective in South African and Brazilian variants
Local transfer of the South African variant has been confirmed in the USA, UK, Israel, and most European countries, including most of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is not yet clear whether the South African variant is more contagious or how it affects the course of the disease. However, it has been definitively established that this variant can partially survive immunity caused by other coronavirus variants and developed by vaccines. While there is no evidence that the South African variant causes a more severe disease, there is a risk of it spreading more rapidly due to the possibility of ineffectiveness of existing vaccines. The biggest concern is that this variant could further evolve and evade immunity completely, undermining vaccination efforts.

Therefore, the Near East University's determination that there are no South African and Brazilian variants in the TRNC gives hope in terms of showing that the vaccines that are used in the country will maintain their effectiveness.

Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ: "The absence of South African and Brazilian variants is promising for the success of the ongoing vaccination studies"
Saying that Near East University researchers closely monitor the SARS-CoV-2 variants spreading in the country with regular analyzes they performed in COVID-19 PCR Diagnostic Laboratories, Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ put forward that South African and Brazilian variants, which are highly contagious and are more resistant to existing vaccines, have not been seen in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ made a statement that "The South African and Brazilian variants not being diagnosed in our country is promising for the success of the ongoing vaccination process."

Doç. Dr. Mahmut Çerkez Ergören: “İngiltere varyantı, baskınlığını sürdürüyor”
Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi COVID-19 PCR Tanı Laboratuvarları sorumlularından Doç. Dr. Mahmut Çerkez Ergören de gerçekleştirdikleri analizlerde İngiltere varyantının KKTC’de baskınlığını sürdürdüğünü belirtti. Doç. Dr. Mahmut Çerkez Ergören, “KKTC’de ilk kez Ocak ayında tespit ettiğimiz İngiltere varyantının, Nisan ayının ilk üç haftasında da yüzde 70 oranında baskın olduğunu saptadık” değerlendirmesini yaptı.