New strain of coronavirus detected in eight European countries
The new strain of the coronavirus has been detected in eight European countries, the regional director of WHO Europe said, adding that World Health Organisation (WHO) is continuing to monitor the situation.
While stressing on the need to boost the protective measures, Hans Kluge, WHO’s Regional Director for Europe said the new strain seems to be spreading among younger age groups, unlike the previous strains.
“8 countries in the @WHO_Europe region have now identified the new COVID-19 variant VOC-202012/01. It is vital to strengthen existing protective measures: distancing/masks/staying in core support bubbles. WHO is continuing to monitor and will provide updates,” Hans Kluge tweeted.
“The variant also seems to be spreading among younger age groups, unlike previous strains. Vigilance is important while research is ongoing to define its impact,” Kluge said in a subsequent tweet.
Last week, the new strain of the coronavirus was firstly detected in the United Kingdom. As per the experts, this type of infection is more transmissible than other SARS-CoV-2 variants. Following the arrival of the new strain, several countries introduced new travel restrictions.
