WHO calls for calm over new coronavirus variant

The World Health Organisation is calling for calm over the emergence of a new strain of Covid-19 in countries including Britain and South Africa. WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan says virus mutation is to be expected and is not a cause for major alarm. His comments come as a growing number of countries impose travel bans on passengers from the UK and South Africa.

“We have to find a balance. It’s very important to have transparency, it’s very important to tell the public the way it is, but it’s also important to get across that this is a normal part of virus evolution. Being able to track a virus this closely, this carefully, this scientifically in real time is a real positive development for global public health, and the countries doing this type of surveillance should be commended.”

WHO officials say there is nothing to indicate that the new strain causes more serious illness or deaths, although it appears to spread a lot quicker. Ryan says the countries imposing travel restrictions on places like the UK are doing so to be extra safe.

“That is prudent. But it is also important that everyone recognises that this happens, these variants occur.”

According to a Thai PBS World report, officials say the Covid-19 virus has mutated much more slowly than influenza and the new strain currently being seen in the UK is still spreading less quickly than infections such as the mumps. WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan says the new Covid-19 vaccines should still work against the new variant.

“So far, even though we have seen a number of changes, a number of mutations, none has made a significant impact on either the susceptibility of the virus to any of the currently used therapeutics, drugs or the vaccines under development and one hopes that will continue to be the case.”

SOURCE: Thai PBS World