No evidence so far that new COVID-19 virus strain more likely to cause severe disease or mortality: WHO DG

Emphasised importance of suppressing transmission of all SARS-CoV-2 viruses

Allaying concerns on reports of new variants of the COVID-19 virus in South Africa and the UK, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO) reminded that its “natural and expected” that viruses mutate over time.

“The UK has reported that this new variant transmits more easily but there is no evidence so far that it is more likely to cause severe disease or mortality,” he said, assuring that the WHO is working with scientists to understand how these genetic changes affect how the virus behaves.

He emphasised the importance of suppressing “transmission of all SARS-CoV-2 viruses as quickly as we can” as “The more we allow it to spread, the more opportunity it has to change.”