WHO warns of emergence of new variants, says Covid still ‘very fit’

Following an early reduction in Covid cases in Asia and Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the virus is still’very fit’ and travelling about readily, despite the efficacy of immunizations decreasing. This creates an ideal setting for the development of novel coronavirus strains.

Noting that the virus has not ‘settled down’ into a purely seasonal or predictable pattern yet, Dr Mike Ryan, WHO’s Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme, said, as quoted by UN News, “So, the idea that ‘we are through with it’ in the northern hemisphere and now we have to wait until next winter, I think (for example) when we look at increasing rates in the UK, we need to be very vigilant and cautious with this.”

The virus is still ‘very fit’, the expert asserted and also added, “it’s moving around easily and in the context of waning immunity and vaccines not acting perfectly against infection, the virus will likely continue to echo around the world.”

“It will be high in some parts sometimes and then move and be higher again, it will move to another area where immunity is waning. The virus will pick up pockets of susceptibility, and we will survive on those pockets for months until another pocket opens.

“This is how viruses work. They establish themselves in a community and they will move quickly to the next community that’s unprotected”, he further explained saying that experts have seen similar patterns with the polio virus.”

Maria Van Kerkhove, echoing similar sentiments, stated that in this context, new varieties might evolve quickly.

“We completely understand that the world needs to move on and wants to move on from COVID-19 but this virus spreads very efficiently between people” and if we don’t have the right interventions in place the virus will take opportunities to continue to spread, and the more the virus spreads the more opportunities it has to change,” Van Kerkhove added.