WHO In Contact With Researchers To Assess Spread Of New Coronavirus Strain- Representative

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st October, 2020) The World Health Organization (WHO) is in contact with researchers who are studying the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus that is believed to have emerged in Spain over the summer and subsequently spread across Europe, a representative of the organization told Sputnik on Friday.

"A cluster of SARS-CoV-2 strains called 20A.EU1, which appears to have originated in Spain, has become the predominant strain in parts of Europe (esp. Switzerland, Ireland, United Kingdom, and France) ... WHO is in contact with researchers, through its networks, who are helping to untangle whether there is a growth advantage conferred by the identified mutation," a WHO representative said.

In a fresh study published on Thursday, researchers from Switzerland and Spain said that they had identified a new strain of coronavirus, named 20A.EU1, which is believed to have been first identified in Spain.

Researchers said that it was currently unclear whether this strain has a transmission advantage or was spread widely across the continent by returning tourists.

The new strain of coronavirus is believed to be the cause of the majority of new COVID-19 cases in the UK, Spain, and the Republic of Ireland over recent months, researchers said.