[ad_1]
GENEVA / ZURICH (Reuters) – The World Health Organization has warned of a major alarm over a new, highly infectious variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in Britain, saying it is integral to the evolution of a pandemic.
WHO officials have even shed a positive light on the discovery of the new strains that have prompted scores of alarmed countries to impose travel restrictions on Britain and South Africa, saying new ones tools to track the virus were working.
“We have to find a balance. It is very important to have transparency, it is very important to tell the public what it is, but it is also important to make it clear that this is a part normal course of the virus, “said Mike Ryan, WHO’s emergency manager. an online briefing said.
“Being able to follow a virus so closely, this carefully, this scientifically in real time is a real positive development for global public health, and countries that do this type of surveillance are to be commended.”
Citing UK data, WHO officials said they had no evidence the variant made people sicker or was more deadly than existing strains of COVID-19, although it seemed to spread more easily .
Countries that imposed travel restrictions were acting very cautiously while assessing the risks, Ryan said, adding: “It is cautious. But it is also important that everyone recognizes that this is happening, these variations. occur.”
WHO officials have said mutations in the coronavirus have so far been much slower than those in the flu, and even the new British variant remains much less transmissible than other diseases like mumps.
They said vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 should also handle the new variants, although checks are underway to ensure this is the case.
“So far, although we have seen a number of changes, a number of mutations, none have had a significant impact on the susceptibility of the virus to any of the current therapeutic agents, drugs or vaccines. currently in use and it is hoped that will continue to be the case, ”WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan told the briefing.
The WHO has said it expects to get more details within days or weeks on the potential impact of the new strain of highly transmissible coronavirus.
[ad_2]
Source link
