GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th June, 2020) The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that it would carefully examine a recent scientific paper by Chinese scientists suggesting that there is a new strain of swine flu capable of triggering a pandemic and see whether it contains any new information other than what the organization already has on swine influenza virus.
Earlier in the day, the US Proceedings of the National academy of Sciences journal reported that Chinese scientists discovered an unknown strain of swine flu, which was potentially capable of causing a new pandemic. According to the scientists, the virus' high infectivity enhances the opportunity for it to adapt to humans and raises concerns about a possible new pandemic.
"Eurasian avian-like swine influenza virus are known to be circulating in the swine population in Asia and to be able to infect humans sporadically. Twice a year during the influenza vaccine composition meetings, all information on the viruses is reviewed and the need for new candidate vaccine viruses is discussed. We will carefully read the paper to understand what is new," the WHO said in a statement, obtained by Sputnik.
According to the WHO, the possible danger posed by the new swine flu strain indicates that the organization cannot let down its "guard on influenza" and need to be vigilant even amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
