Summary: Mutated new coronavirus increases epidemic prevention challenges

since the discovery of the mutated new coronavirus in the UK at the end of last year, cases of mutated virus infection have been reported in many countries and regions, and different versions of the mutated virus have been found in some countries. By 2021, the world has new tools to deal with new crown outbreaks, such as vaccines, but also new challenges such as virus mutations, said Cluger, director of the World Health Organization's regional office for Europe.December last year, the UK reported the discovery of a new coronavirus called VOC 202012/01 and another variant with a greater ability to spread and mutate; New crown virus for V2; The African Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that a new variant of the new coronavirus has been found in Nigeria that may not be associated with a variant previously found in the United Kingdom and South Africa, pending further investigation.
, more countries and regions have reported cases of mutated new coronavirus infections. 22 of the 53 countries under the responsibility of the WHO Regional Office for Europe have developed a mutated new coronavirus strain, WHO Regional Office for Europe Director Cluger said Wednesday.
, Russia, Latvia and other countries have also reported cases of mutated virus infection. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said on January 10, four passengers from Brazil have been confirmed infected with the mutant new coronavirus, but they are infected with the variant virus is not exactly the same as the British and South Africa found the mutant virus;
Walker, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new crown outbreak, noted that the new coronavirus often mutates, and that more mutations are likely over time.who
, noted that the mutated virus is more contagious and that the severity of the disease has not changed. If controls are not strengthened to slow their spread, it will have a greater impact on the current under-pressure health care system.
U.S. media, citing a January 3 report sent to states by the White House Coronavirus Response Task Force, said infections in the U.S. grew nearly twice as fast last fall and winter during the "surge wave" of the spring and summer. This accelerated spread suggests that in addition to the new coronavirus, which has been reported in the United Kingdom, there may be another version of the mutated new coronavirus, which may be 50 per cent more widely transmitted than the new coronavirus reported in the United Kingdom.
Russian media reported that the mutant virus found in Russia and Latvia was more contagious in recent days, and South African researchers said there was no evidence linking it to more serious diseases or worse, but the mutant virus did show a faster rate of transmission than previously.
reports of new coronavirus mutations have long been reported. In February last year, for example, researchers identified a strain carrying the D614G mutation, which was then spread mainly in Europe and the Americas. Studies have found that strains carrying D614G mutations are more adaptable. Since the middle of last year, strains carrying the D614G mutation have become the mainstream virus in various countries.
According to WHO's recent weekly report on the global new crown outbreak, preliminary epidemiological studies, modelling analysis, clinical findings, etc. show that voC 202012/01, a mutant virus found in the UK, is more contagious, but does not cause a change in the severity of the disease, and repeated infections are no different from other strains prevalent in the UK.the UK, South Africa and Nigeria reported the discovery of a new coronavirus in December, a number of countries around the world responded quickly, including banning flights from the UK and South Africa.
WHO
calls on countries to be vigilant in investigating and tracking unusually rapid transmission events, unexpected disease manifestations or severe illnesses, to increase systematic sequencing of mutant viruses and to use sequencing data to promote early prevention, and to share more data.
, WHO's chief scientist, stressed that people should continue to monitor genetic changes in the virus, while also focusing on reducing the rate of transmission of the virus. Because the more the virus spreads, the greater the chance of mutation. The virus cannot be transmitted out of control in the population in order to reduce the rate of genetic mutations.
, experts urge governments and people to continue to implement existing public health measures, including wearing masks, keeping hands hygienic, and keeping social distance. These measures have been shown to be effective in curbing the spread of the virus, including the latest mutations. (Reporter: Ge Chen; Participating journalists: Guo Shuang, Guo Yang, Liu Qu, Hua Yi)