SPAIN, FINLAND AND Sweden have detected infections from new coronavirus strains as the World Health Organization warns that a more severe pandemic could come in the future.
Spanish authorities in the region of Andalusia reported five cases of the variant that was first detected in the U.K. The infections were found in people who traveled to the U.K. in recent days. Madrid's health adviser announced Saturday that the city confirmed four cases of the variant.
Finnish government officials on Monday reported that it found both the strain from the U.K. and another first detected in South Africa. All the infected people had recently traveled.
In neighboring Sweden, health officials on Saturday announced they detected a case of the strain first found in the U.K. in a recent traveler.
While the new strains appear to be more contagious, experts do not believe they are more deadly or change the course of the disease. Several vaccine developers have said they anticipate their shots will work against the variants.
The methods to combat these strains are the same as they have always been for the virus, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead on COVID-19.
"All of these viruses, these SARS-CoV-2 viruses, can be controlled with the measures that we have in place, with adherence to the measures that we have, with the tools that we have in our toolbox," Van Kerkhove said at a press conference on Monday.
WHO's Mike Ryan warned that the coronavirus pandemic is a "wake-up call," saying that "this is not necessarily the big one."
"If there's one thing we need to take from this pandemic, with all of the tragedy and loss, is that we need to get our act together," Ryan said. "We need to get ready for something that may even be more severe in the future."
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