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New coronavirus variant can be stopped using same preventive measures: WHO
The discovery of the new Covid-19 strain B117 has led to a Christmas lockdown in London and southern England.
A World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist has said people can protect themselves from the new variant of the coronavirus by following social distancing rules and maintaining practices like washing hands regularly and wearing masks.
Maria Van Kerkhove was speaking to CNN on Monday regarding the spread of the infection in the UK as she outlined that the reproduction rate, also known as an infected person’s ability to spread the virus. She said the reproduction rate of the new variant has increased from 1.1 to 1.5. She also said that the new variant has made no impact on the vaccine or vaccination process. “We do not anticipate any impact on the vaccine and the vaccination,” Kerkhove said.
Van Kerkhove also said that WHO and doctors in the UK have set up a surveillance system to study the new variant. “So far we do not see any increase in disease severity or clinical picture. We are also looking at the body’s ability to develop antibodies. The studies are ongoing,” she added. “We have to work a little bit harder as the new Covid-19 variant is spreading. These are in the presence of interventions that are put in place across England. Viruses mutate, they change all the time.”
“The interventions that work for preventing the spread of this variant also work for the viruses that are circulating around. So, this is physical distancing, making sure we avoid crowded spaces. We do things indoors as opposed to outdoors,” Van Kerkhove said.
The discovery of the new Covid-19 strain B117 has led to a Christmas lockdown in London and southern England. UK prime minister Boris Johnson made the announcement regarding the new lockdown on Sunday and asked people to remain indoors during Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Several nations have also banned flights from the UK over fears of the new coronavirus strain, which experts claim is 70% more transmissible.
The global health body has said that the new coronavirus variant discovered in Britain with a higher transmission rate is not yet out of control. “We have had a much higher (contamination rate) at different points in this pandemic and we’ve got it under control. So this situation is not in that sense out of control. But it cannot be left to its own devices,” WHO’s emergencies chief Michael Ryan told a press conference.
