He's asked Tesla's Elon Musk, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and executive chair of Amazon Jeff Bezos among others to support the continent and South Africa financially to control and extinguish coronavirus.

In a series of urgent tweets on social media, the professor's called for protection for the poor and oppressed, saying scientists are working around the clock to understand the effects of this new variant of concern B.1.1.529.

De Oliveira says in a plea to the World Bank and USAID that while we do have funding for science, South Africa and Africa need financial help to support our deprived population and health system.

He says the variant seems to spread very quickly and in less than two weeks has dominated all infections following our country's devastating Delta wave.

South African experts are meeting with WHO officials today to further discuss its effects.

They've warned though the variant has 30 mutations and there are concerns it could evade the immune response generated by current vaccines.

Meanwhile, Britain is bringing in travel restrictions for six African countries, including South Africa, due to the new variant that scientists say is the "worst they've seen so far".

Flights will temporarily be banned from Friday and UK travellers must quarantine.

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