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Rome, 21 Dec – “The UK reports that this variant of the coronavirus is transmitted more easily but there are no elements to believe that it causes more serious consequences or is more deadly “these are the words of the WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, regarding the so-called “English variant” of the coronavirus.
WHO: “Virus changes, but it is no longer serious”
“In the last few days there have been reports of a variant of the coronavirus in the UK and South Africa. Viruses mutate over time, that’s natural and expected. The UK reports that this variant is more easily transmitted but there are no elements for believing that it causes more serious or more fatal consequences. WHO collaborates with scientists to understand how these genetic changes can affect the behavior of the virus ”, continues the WHO director general.
“Vaccines give hope”
“Safe and effective vaccines give us hope, but they do not authorize people to let their guard down by putting themselves and others at risk. There are groups that continue to argue that this virus only affects the elderly and that we can relax with the vaccines on the way. Covid-19 affects children and adults in a number of ways and can attack every system in the body. An increasing number of people suffer from long-term effects, this includes neurological consequences on children and adults who are still under study ”, adds the WHO representative. In a certain sense, therefore, even the WHO “disavows” what was said by Boris Johnson, who had spoken of a mutant virus 70% more transmissible.
Ilaria Paoletti
