WHO studies new variant of coronavirus with multiple mutations

Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) are analyzing with South African colleagues the new variant discovered of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, which raises concern about the high number of mutations it has developed.

“It is a variant to follow, and it is worrying”, Highlighted in a meeting with Internet users the head of the WHO anti-COVID technical unit, María Van Kerkhove, who pointed out, however, that the discovery shows that the alert level of the laboratories against COVID continues to be high.

“We do not know much about this variant yet, we know that it has a high number of mutations, and the concern is that this affects the behavior of the virus“Van Kerkhove highlighted in the sense that it can change its transmission capacity, or the effectiveness of treatments, diagnoses and vaccines against the coronavirus.

“It will take a few days to see what impact it can have and the potential of vaccines against the variant”Stressed the expert, who also indicated that a group of WHO advisers will hold a meeting to analyze it.

“There is no reason for the alarm, but you have to see what it means“Said Van Kerkhove, who recalled that the delta variant, currently the cause of practically all new COVID-19 infections on the planet, also presents different mutations.

Scientists and health authorities in South Africa confirmed today the existence of the new variant of the coronavirus, called B.1.1.529, which has some thirty mutations.

The new variant features “a very unusual constellation of mutations“, But his”meaning is still uncertain”, Explained in a virtual press conference Professor Tulio de Oliveira, from the KwaZulu-Natal Research and Sequencing Innovation Platform (KRISP).

So far, cases of this variant have been confirmed in South Africa, neighboring Botswana, and Hong Kong, China.