The World Health Organization said this week that coronavirus variants are causing a new rise in infections across Europe.
Why does it matter: European countries reported about 1 million new cases last week, up about 9% from the previous week. Last week’s rise put an end to a six-week decline in new infections, the WHO said on Thursday, according to the AP.
By numbers: The variant, first found in the United Kingdom, which may be more transmissible and more deadly than the original strain of the virus, is spreading to 27 European countries monitored by the WHO, according to the PA.
- It is now the dominant strain in at least 10 countries: the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Israel, Spain and Portugal.
- Meanwhile, the variant first discovered in South Africa has been found in 26 European countries. Vaccine manufacturers Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax have each reported that their vaccines, although effective, offer less protection against the South African variant.
- The Brazilian variant, detected in 15 European countries, could be able to reinfect people who survived infections with previous versions of the coronavirus, according to Reuters.
The whole picture: The Italian government tightened restrictions on coronavirus in some of its 20 regions this week in response to growth.