Who experts: mutation of new coronavirus will be a new challenge in 2021

Who experts: mutation of new coronavirus will be a new challenge in 2021

Speaking at an online press conference in Copenhagen on the 7th, Kluger, director of the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization, said that in 2021, the world has new tools such as vaccines to deal with the new epidemic situation, but at the same time, it is also facing new challenges such as virus mutation.



Kluger said that 22 of the 53 countries under the responsibility of the WHO Regional Office for Europe have found new coronavirus strains with mutations. The mutated virus was more infectious and the severity of the disease remained unchanged. If we do not strengthen the control to slow down its spread, it will have a greater impact on the current medical system which has been under pressure.



He called on all countries to be vigilant, investigate and track abnormal rapid transmission events, unexpected disease manifestations or severe cases, increase systematic sequencing of mutated viruses, use sequencing data to promote early prevention, and share more data.



According to the WHO Regional Office for Europe, more than 230 million people in Europe are currently living in the national blockade, and some countries will announce the blockade measures in the next few weeks. More than a quarter of European countries have a very high rate of new crown infection, and the health care system is under great pressure.

Kluger called on all countries to continue to insist on wearing masks, limiting the number of people at social gatherings, keeping social distance and washing hands, supplemented by appropriate anti epidemic measures such as virus detection and tracking. (Source: Yang Lei I Xinhua News)