Agence France-PresseJan 28, 2021 15:10:19 IST
New COVID-19 modifications that make the virus more contagious and potentially provide effective vaccine and antibody protection are rapidly spreading across dozens of countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. In their latest epidemiological update, the UN health agency said that the more contagious COVID-19 variant seen in Britain before 25 January had spread to 70 countries around the world. That variant, known as VOC 202012/01 or B.1.1.7 and has been proven to spread more easily than previous versions of the virus, thus spreading to 10 other countries over the past week. passed, the WHO said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned last week that new studies had indicated the strain could be more deadly, but the WHO stressed on Wednesday that “these results are just the beginning, and more is needed. analysis to confirm these conclusions ”.
All viruses circulate during reproduction to adapt to their environment, and scientists have discovered several mutations of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes it. COVID-19.
Most infections are less important, but the WHO has urged countries to actively work to detect mutations that could significantly alter the viability or transmission of the virus. .
More risk of readjustment?
That was the case for the 501.V2 version that was first discovered in South Africa in October. The WHO said Wednesday that a variant had now spread to 31 countries, eight more than a week ago. Like the British version, it also has mutations in its spice protein – the part of the virus that passes on to human cells and helps it spread – making it more infectious than other rays.
But studies have also shown that this variant is “more prone to antibody neutralization,” the WHO said.
This has raised concerns that the variant poses a higher risk for relapse, and could also hamper the effectiveness of the growing number of COVID-19 vaccines.
The WHO said more studies were needed, but confirmed that subjective studies in South Africa did not present a greater risk for reinterpretation.
The WHO said the third variant of the virus, first detected in Brazil, was now in eight countries, up from just two weeks ago.
That variant, known as P1, has raised similar concerns that it could become more contagious or cause more serious disease.
“Further studies are needed to determine whether these new variables are due to changes in transmission activity, intensity or antibody neutralization,” the WHO said.
View of the COVID-19 virus. Image courtesy of Fusion Medical Animation
Declining global incidence
All variables and sexes included, WHO said 4.1 million new cases of COVID-19 were recorded worldwide over the past week, with about 96,000 deaths .
While the number of deaths was similar to the previous week, the number of new cases marked a decline of 15 percent week on week.
This was the second week in a row that new case numbers have declined, after peaking in the first week of January.
The global decline was largely offset by relative reductions in the frequency of cases in some countries that have seen the highest numbers in recent months, WHO said, including in the United States – the country hardest hit by the pandemic
Every district has seen new case numbers come down or stay flat.
The European region saw the sharpest fall, with a 20 percent drop in new cases, followed by Africa at 16 percent and Americans at 14 percent.
Nevertheless, America and Europe accounted for 86 percent full of all new cases recorded last week.