MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2021) The new coronavirus variant, B.1.1.529, originating from South Africa may spread throughout the world in several months, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.
"We are taking the news about the new highly mutated COVID-19 variant very seriously. We do know that mutations could lead to the emergence and spread of even more concerning variants of the virus that could spread worldwide within a few months," von der Leyen said in a statement.
She called on Europe to act fast to prevent the new strain from spreading globally. In particular, the commission proposed to enable the so-called "emergency brake" to suspend travel to southern African nations and others affected by the new variant.
The EU authorities have instructed vaccine makers to adjust their products to new strains as soon as they occur, von der Leyen added.
On Wednesday, British scientists reported the discovery of B.1.1.529 in Botswana, containing an exceptionally high number of 32 mutations, many of them in spike proteins, the main target of COVID-19 vaccines, potentially making it more transmissible and thus more dangerous than other variants.
On Thursday, South Africa detected 22 infections with the new variant, followed by Israel, Hong Kong, and Belgium. The United Kingdom has banned all travels to South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, citing the new risk. Several other nations, including Austria, the Philippines, and Morocco followed London's example.
