A new variant of the COVID virus identified in Southern Africa is “highly transmissible and vaccine-resistant”. The variant may have come from someone with AIDS.Covid variant, believed to have emerged in Botswana that is the most mutated version of the virus yet.. 10 cases of the strain, detected so far.potted in three countries, suggesting the variant is more widespread.. It carries 32 mutations, many suggest it is highly transmissible and vaccine-resistant, and has more alterations to its spike protein than any other variant.