Business Standard reported that researchers in South Africa said the variant was discovered in May.
Since then, the variant, C.1.2, has been reported in China, New Zealand, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and several other countries, the news outlet reported.
The researchers reportedly found that the new variant has a mutation rate about twice as fast as that of other COVID-19 variants, and it could evade the antibodies people have developed for the Alpha and Beta variants.
The study was posted on Tuesday, Aug. 24, and it has not been peer-reviewed yet.
Learn more about the study here.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Tappan-Blauvelt and receive free news updates.