The British variant is spreading more and more across the world -
Jacques Witt / SIPA
The number of countries and territories where the British variant of the coronavirus is now found stood at 70 on January 25, 10 more than on January 12, the WHO announced on Wednesday.
The South African variant which, like the British, is much more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus was, also continues to spread, and is now present in 31 countries and territories, in 8 more countries , details the World Health Organization in its weekly epidemiological review.
A more lethal variant?
The Brazilian variant has been reported in six new countries, for a total of eight.
Studies are underway around the world to determine the reasons for the greater contagiousness of the British variant.
But uncertainty still reigns over its level of dangerousness.
On January 22, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the British variant also appeared to be more deadly.
But scientists have noted that there is limited data which concludes that the "English variant" is 30-40% more lethal than the classic virus.
WHO also remains cautious.
"The results are preliminary, and further analysis is needed to corroborate these conclusions," said the UN agency in its bulletin.
Variants are different versions of the original coronavirus, which appear over time due to various mutations.
A normal phenomenon in the life of a virus.
Numerous mutations of Sars-CoV-2 have been observed since its appearance, the vast majority without consequence.
However, some may give it an advantage for its survival, including greater transmissibility.
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