Looking at the @GISAID database, it looks like in the first five days of identifying B.1.1.529 in South Africa the number of samples was 13 (Nov 11-15) and in the last five days (Nov 18-22) it was 39.... early and preliminary data suggests cases may be growing by 3x weekly.
For context, Delta was doubling weekly... but this was with greater numbers. It's still super early to accurately assess B.1.1.529 but the early data is concerning.
https://twitter.com/joaquinlife/status/1404009373899186183?s=20
No recent upward trajectory in Botswana, where the variant was first sequenced, may be a good sign... again, super early... things will be more clear in the next weeks. 
Yep, and here we go, the growth rate of Nu (B.1.1.529) genomic sequencing samples is coinciding with community transmission growth at 3x weekly.
https://twitter.com/bnodesk/status/1463996162546049025
If this holds steady, this means that Nu would be 50% more transmissible than Delta, which means it’s between 6-7.5 times more than transmissible than the wild-type… putting the Rt at roughly between 12-14. The combo of increased transmissibility and immune escape is dangerous.
It’s early, take it with a grain of salt. But helpful to put things into context what this new variant could mean for the world.
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