Geneva, Switzerland:
New Covid-19 variants that make the virus more contagious and could render vaccine and antibody protection much less powerful have spread swiftly across dozens of nations, the World Health Organization mentioned on Wednesday.
In its most current epidemiological update, the UN wellness agency mentioned the more contagious Covid-19 variant initially spotted in Britain had by January 25 spread to 70 nations across all regions of the planet.
That variant, which is identified as VOC 202012/01 and has verified to transmit more very easily than preceding variants of the virus, had as a result spread to 10 more nations more than the previous week, it mentioned.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson final week also warned that fresh research had indicated the strain could be more deadly, but the WHO stressed Wednesday that these “results are preliminary, and more analyses are required to further corroborate these findings”.
The WHO also mentioned the variant of the virus initially discovered in South Africa had now spread to 31 nations, eight more than a week ago.
Laboratory research have discovered that that variant, 501Y.V2 “is less susceptible to antibody neutralisation” than preceding variants, WHO mentioned.
This has raised really serious issues that the variant poses a heightened threat of reinfection, and also could hamper the effectiveness of the developing quantity of Covid-19 vaccines coming to market place.
The WHO mentioned more research had been necessary, but stressed that observational research in South Africa did not indicate an elevated threat of reinfection.
It also mentioned that though research by US biotechnology firm Moderna indicated that its vaccine could potentially be much less powerful against the variant, “neutralising titres remain above the levels expected to be protective”.
The WHO mentioned a third variant of the virus, initially found in Brazil, was now in eight nations, up from just two a week ago.
That variant, known as P1, has raised related issues it could be more contagious or bring about more extreme illness.
“Further studies are needed to assess if there are changes in transmissibility, severity or antibody neutralising activity as a result of these new variants,” the WHO mentioned.
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