COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia
The COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia was a part of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was confirmed to have reached Tunisia on 2 March 2020.
Image: Covid 19 Tunis Tunisie kassba 18 04 2020 photographed by Brahim Guedich 2611
Image: Covid 19 Tunis Tunisie kassba 18 04 2020 photographed by Brahim Guedich 2694
Image: People are on line in front of local grocery Covid 19 Tunisie Megrine 01
Image: People are on line in front of local grocery Covid 19 Tunisie Megrine 02
The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) was a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. It was estimated to be 40–80% more transmissible than the wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Scientists more widely took note of this variant in early December 2020, when a phylogenetic tree showing viral sequences from Kent, United Kingdom looked unusual.
False-colour transmission electron micrograph of the Alpha variant. The variant's increased transmissibility is believed to be due to changes in structure of the spike proteins, shown here in green.