OREANDA-NEWS. A new, more contagious strain of coronavirus has been registered in 22 European countries. This was stated at a briefing by the head of the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Europe, Hans Kluge.

The official noted that the coronavirus mutation spreads faster than the usual type of SARS-CoV-2, but it does not affect the severity of the disease. Kluge also pointed out that the new strain is transmitted among all age groups, and children are not a high-risk group.

British authorities reported the appearance of a more contagious mutation of coronavirus in December 2020. According to the WHO, by the beginning of January, a new strain was registered in 41 countries of the world. The organization’s representatives noted that this kind of infection, in comparison to the disease caused by previously known strain of the virus, can spread more actively among the young men.