European officials voice concern over ‘alarming’ new Covid variant
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One person walking along the main street in Barcelona’s Christmas market, Spain.
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Un top EU official stated that new information about the EU was “unsettling”. coronavirusVariant is considered “alarming” by the regional government. It could have implications on the local economy.
A handful of nations, notably South Africa and Botswana have identified cases of the new variantB.1.1.529 is the name of this compound. Experts tried to soothe initial fears by noting that Covid-19 shots are still effective.
Mairead McGuinness (EU commissioner for financial stability) said that “it is alarming what’s emerging.” She spoke to CNBC’s SquawkBox Europe on Friday.
She said that if the situation escalates, we do not expect it to, there will likely be some effect on our economies.
At a time European nations face rising numbers of cases, the new variant arrives at the right moment. Social restrictions have been announced to stop the spread. Some countries have placed a greater emphasis on unvaccinated populations, such as Austria and Czech Republic.
For most EU countries, these new measures require indoor mask use and offer advice on how to work at home. Contrary to the previous wave, there has not been widespread notification of complete lockdowns.
European officials are also intensifying efforts to improve vaccination. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission said that 25% of EU adults have not been fully vaccinated. You are more likely to develop severe COVID-19 symptoms if you’re not vaccinated. Vaccination is good for you and your family.
‘Quite concerned’
Pasi Penttinen (a manager of public health emergencies at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) said to CNBC that “It seems like this particular variant has very concerning sets mutations particularly in the spike protein. Which is necessary for its transmission capabilities as well as its defense against the vaccines.
ECDC will assess the situation and report back to EU countries later Friday.
He stated that there is still much to be learned about South Africa’s situation and that all efforts must now focus not just on South Africa, but also in countries of the Southern African region in order to get an accurate picture.
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