世卫组织：新冠新变种毒株已在数十个国家地区迅速传播
当地时间27日，世卫组织发布的每周流行病学报告指出，新冠新变种毒株已在数十个国家地区迅速传播，这些新变种毒株使病毒更具传染性，并可能使疫苗和抗体保护效果降低。
世卫组织表示，到1月25日，在英国首次发现的更具传染性的新冠新变种毒株已传播到70个国家和地区。世卫组织说，被命名为VOC 202012/01或B.1.1.7的变种病毒，已被证明比之前的病毒变种更容易传播，因此在过去一周内传播到10个国家地区。
New COVID-19 variants, that make the virus more contagious and could render vaccine and antibody protection less effective, have spread rapidly across dozens of countries and regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday.
In its latest epidemiological update, the WHO said the more contagious COVID-19 variant first spotted in Britain had, by January 25, spread to 70 countries and regions across all regions of the world.
That variant, known as VOC 202012/01 or B.1.1.7 and has been proven to transmit more easily than previous variants of the virus, had thus spread to 10 more countries and regions over the past week, the WHO said.
在上周，英国首相约翰逊还警告，新的研究表明变种毒株可能更致命，但世卫组织周三强调，这些“结果是初步的，需要更多的分析来进一步证实这些发现”。
为了适应环境，所有病毒在复制时都会发生变异，科学家已经追踪了导致新型冠状病毒肺炎的严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒SARS-CoV-2（新冠病毒）的多重突变。
据报道，绝大多数的突变并不重要，但世卫组织敦促各国积极努力发现可能显著改变病毒毒性或传播能力的突变。
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also warned last week that fresh studies had indicated the strain could be more deadly, but the WHO stressed Wednesday that those "results are preliminary, and more analyses are required to further corroborate these findings."
All viruses mutate when they replicate in order to adapt to their environment, and scientists have tracked multiple mutations of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The vast majority of mutations are of little importance, but the WHO has urged countries to actively work to spot mutations that might significantly alter either the virus's virulence or transmissibility.
南非的501Y.V2变种病毒就是这种情况。南非科学家在去年10月首次发现新冠病毒变种501Y.V2，并于去年12月向社会公布了这一发现。
世卫组织说，南非的501Y.V2变种病毒如今已传播至31个国家，比上周多出八个。
此外，世卫组织还表示，新冠病毒的第三个变种首先在巴西发现，现在已出现在八个国家，而一周前还只有两个。该变体被称为P1，引起可能会更具传染性或导致更严重的疾病的担忧。
世卫组织说，目前需要进一步研究，以评估这些新变体是否会导致传播率、严重程度或抗体中和活性变化。
That was the case for the 501.V2 variant first found in South Africa in October.
The WHO said Wednesday that variant had now spread to 31 countries and regions, eight more than a week ago.
The WHO said a third variant of the virus, first discovered in Brazil, was now in eight countries and regions, up from just two a week ago.
That variant, called P1, has raised similar concerns it could be more contagious or cause a more severe disease.
"Further studies are needed to assess if there are changes in transmissibility, severity or antibody neutralizing activity as a result of these new variants," the WHO said.