Expert World Health Organization (WHO) Maria van Kerkhove acknowledged faster spread ” British “strain of coronavirus, reports TASS .
Van Kerkhove noted that new information about the infection is constantly being received. According to the latest data, the common variant of the coronavirus is not spreading as quickly as the strain identified in the UK. “We are relying on the reproductive number, which has increased from 1.1 to 1.5,” she explained.
At the same time, the method of spreading the virus remains the same. There is also no evidence that the new strain is more dangerous. “Accordingly, there is no change in how we should resist this option, including the use of personal protective equipment,” the expert concluded.
A new coronavirus mutation was first discovered in the UK in September 2020, but it began to spread actively in December. The changes affected the area of the spike protein on the surface of the coronavirus, which is responsible for attaching to cells located in the mucous membrane of the lungs and a number of other organs.