The mutation of the coronavirus will continue as it is a natural process. This was stated by Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the technical group of the Emergency Diseases Unit of the World Health Organization (WHO), RIA Novosti reports.
“This does not particularly affect the virus itself, but we need to continue to study these options, including from the point of view of their transmission,” said Van Kerkhove. She added that WHO will continue to closely monitor new strains of coronavirus and interact with scientists around the world.
WHO head Tedros Adanom Ghebreyesus, in turn, predicted new variants of coronavirus in 2021 to the world and urged countries to promptly share information about new strains.
Earlier, Gebreyesus warned of new pandemics and called on the world to prepare to deal with the next challenges. According to him, the pandemic that has arisen in 2020 will not be the last, as outbreaks of viruses are a reality. He called for lessons to be learned from what had happened, in particular, to channel investments to prevent emergencies and develop primary health care.
In September, a dangerous mutation of the coronavirus was first discovered in the UK; it began to actively spread in December. More than 20 countries, including Russia, have announced the suspension of transport links with the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, cases of infection with the new strain were recorded in a number of countries in Europe, Asia and North America.
