New guidelines issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that fully vaccinated people can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing.

CDC says fully vaccinated people can gather without masks

The United Kingdom lost market share in the United States, Germany and China during the COVID-19 pandemic due to global trade chaos, Brexit and poor productivity, according to new research published.

World Business Watch: UK market share in US, Germany, China falls

World Health Organization has decided to scrap the origination report of COVID-19. The decision has been taken by the organisation to squash and originate fresh reports for the same.

WHO decides to squash the reports on probe of COVID-19 origins

China is now irking foreign visitors with its anal swab tests for COVID-19 in a few cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and the port city of Qingdao.

China's controversial anal swab tests for COVID-19 irks visitors

"Stop whining. How long are you going to keep crying about it?", says Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to its citizens over COVID-19 pandemic.

'We've all the vaccine needed': Jair Bolsonaro

World Health Organization has decided to scrap the origination report of COVID-19. The decision has been taken by the organization to squash and originate fresh reports for the same.

A new report has found that nations with a high overweight population have the highest death rates from novel coronavirus.&nbsp;

Nearly 2.2 million of the 2.5 million fatalities from Covid-19 were in countries with high levels of overweight people, the report from the World Obesity Federation said.&nbsp;

Countries including the UK, the US and Italy, where over 50 per cent of adults are overweight, have the biggest proportions of Covid-linked deaths.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/obesity-a-bigger-killer-than-smoking-study-363603/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Death rates are 10 times more in nations where over half the adults had a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25kg/m2, a figure from where overweight starts. &nbsp;

Belgium ranks first in terms of the highest level of deaths amongst nations where over 50 per cent of the adult population is overweight.&nbsp;

It is followed by Slovenia and the UK.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-may-be-less-effective-in-obesity-study-367008">Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may be less effective in obesity: Study</a>

Italy and Portugal rank fifth and sixth in the list, while the US is placed at the eighth spot.&nbsp;

Vietnam, which has the second least coronavirus death rate globally, has the lowest level of overweight.&nbsp;

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the report must act as a wake-up call for governments to take measures to control overweight.&nbsp;

"Investment in public health and coordinated, international action to tackle the root causes of obesity is one of the best ways for countries to build resilience in health systems post-pandemic: we urge all countries to seize this moment," he said.&nbsp;

A new report has found that nations with a high overweight population have the highest death rates from novel coronavirus. Nearly 2.2 million of the 2.5 million fatalities from Covid-19 were in countries with high levels of overweight people, the report from the World Obesity Federation said.

A new report has found that nations with a high overweight population have the highest death rates from novel coronavirus. Nearly 2.2 million of the 2.5 million fatalities from Covid-19 were in countries with high levels of overweight people, the report from the World Obesity Federation said. Countries including the UK, the US and Italy, where over 50 per cent of adults are overweight, have the biggest proportions of Covid-linked deaths. Watch | Death rates are 10 times more in nations where over half the adults had a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25kg/m2, a figure from where overweight starts. Belgium ranks first in terms of the highest level of deaths amongst nations where over 50 per cent of the adult population is overweight. It is followed by Slovenia and the UK. Also read | Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may be less effective in obesity: Study Italy and Portugal rank fifth and sixth in the list, while the US is placed at the eighth spot. Vietnam, which has the second least coronavirus death rate globally, has the lowest level of overweight. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the report must act as a wake-up call for governments to take measures to control overweight. "Investment in public health and coordinated, international action to tackle the root causes of obesity is one of the best ways for countries to build resilience in health systems post-pandemic: we urge all countries to seize this moment," he said.

Overweight countries have highest coronavirus death rates: Report

Brazil variant of COVID-19 that has been labelled P1 is about twice as transmissible as some of the other wireless trains and is said to be more likely to evade the natural immunity system.

Brazilian P1 COVID-19 variant raises concerns

For the very first time in over seven weeks, the number of Coronavirus infections has shot up. The Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries to not relax the virus measures.

COVID-19 cases edging back up after weeks of decline

Brazil registers the highest single-day deaths on Tuesday i.e. 1641. Over 257,000 people have died in the country due to COVID-19 infections.

Second COVID wave leaves Brazil's healthcare in shambles

A 7-day lockdown has been imposed in New Zealand's biggest city Auckland after a fresh COVID-19 infection was reported in the region on Saturday.

New Zealand: Auckland goes under a 7-day COVID-19 lockdown

European Union leaders will agree to work on certificates of vaccination for EU citizens who have had an anti-COVID shot, with southern EU countries that depend heavily on tourism desperate to rescue this summer’s holiday season.

EU leaders mull vaccine passports to resurrect tourism

Loss of the sense of smell and taste have been recognised as key symptoms of the COVID-19 infection. But is this loss permanent? WION tells you, How long do you have to wait to regain these senses?

COVID-19 Symptoms: Is loss of smell & taste permanent?

Students are headed back to classrooms in Germany after months where some teachers are happy to interact with their students whereas others are apprehensive about a fresh surge in cases. WION brings you a report.

Students head back to classrooms in Germany as COVID-19 cases rise

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson is all set to announce a roadmap to ease lockdown measures. The roadmap falls under Johnson's accelerated plan to cautiously reopen the economy of Britain.

UK PM to announce a roadmap to ease lockdown measures

Entering the gate of the Codogno cemetery, with its four massive pillars and "Resurrection" written in Latin overhead, the ravages of coronavirus are not immediately apparent.

But beyond the scores of kneeling marble angels and ornamental graves, a newer cloister of simple granite crypts bear witness to the onslaught of what was then a terrifying new virus on this modest northern Italian city.

In a ceremony on Sunday, Codogno will mark one year since it recorded the first locally acquired case of Covid-19 in Italy, in what became the first major outbreak in Europe.

The virus tore through the wider Lombardy region, marking Italy as the new epicentre of the global pandemic that has now claimed more than two million lives -- including almost 100,000 in Italy.

February 23, February 24, February 28, read the dates on the shiny grey crypts. Underneath engraved names, and sometimes the image of a smiling face, the dates gain momentum: March 1, March 5, March 10, 13, 17...

The surge in cases took everyone by surprise, said Roberto Codazzi, 58, the cemetery's deputy custodian.

"In two months, we saw what we usually had in a year," he told AFP.

With his colleague, Codazzi saw the intensity of the virus on display after Friday, February 21 -- when a 38-year-old man known as "Patient 1" was identified at the city's hospital after a doctor broke protocol to test him for coronavirus.

On Saturday, there were already bodies lined up outside the cemetery for burial.

'Who will be next?'

Today in Codogno, a small city of 15,000 people, talk of Covid-19 centres on shuttered businesses, rent to pay and the umpteenth restriction on normal life. 
Yet few can hear the sound of a siren without a pang.

Emy Cavalli, the third-generation owner of the Central Bar on the main plaza, recalled the eerie, early days of the lockdown imposed on Codogno and 10 other northern communities after the first case was identified, immediately followed by the first two confirmed coronavirus deaths in Italy, one of them a 77-year-old woman outside Codogno.

"I remember how silent it was," said Cavalli. "Every three minutes you heard the sound of an ambulance.

"We asked ourselves, 'Who will it be? Who will be next?'"

Within a month, Codogno's death toll more than tripled, with 154 deaths in March versus 49 in the same period a year earlier, Mayor Francesco Passerini told AFP.

"They couldn't keep up," Passerini said of the cemetery workers, who were eventually reinforced by the civil protection unit.

Caskets awaiting burial were stored in a shuttered church, the cemetery was shut to the public and funeral notices were printed without dates to discourage potential mourners from breaking the quarantine to pay their respects.&nbsp;

The daily coffins awaiting custodian Codazzi frequently brought an unwelcome shock: "I said, 'Oh no, I know him! I just saw him a week ago.'"&nbsp;

Codogno's Red Cross unit -- with experience in Iraq and beyond -- was zigzagging the territory, with almost 500 ambulance trips in March alone.

"When they call us, we don't know what we're going to find," said the head of emergency services, Luciano Parmigiani.

Meanwhile, family doctor Andrea Lozzi was working day and night to keep his patients out of the hospital, from which too often they never returned.

Lozzi -- whose name locals evoke with reverence for his tireless work -- declines all interviews, explaining to AFP: "You have to put your hands into your work, and not your mouth."

But the doctor's Facebook page -- a mix of medical advice and an occasional lost cat notice &nbsp;-- paints a picture of how Codogno slowly managed to emerge from the worst.

"WHAT SATISFACTION! Today I could finally say to four of my patients, 'Ok, you did it, you're healed!'" wrote Lozzi on March 11, after weeks of house calls.

A month after the first case, he wrote, "We don't know how far we have to go, but we know we will make it!"

Four days later, Lozzi said he believed the virus had begun to wane in Codogno.&nbsp;

'Journey of suffering'

The early lockdown likely helped. &nbsp;

By the time Codogno's situation began to improve, attention had turned to the worst-hit province of Bergamo some 70 kilometres (43 miles) north, where images of army convoys transporting coffins broadcast the horror of Italy's outbreak to the world.

As the country's death toll spiralled to 4,825 one month after Codogno's first case, some questioned whether a March 8 lockdown of populous Lombardy -- and Italy one day later -- had come too late, while scores of nursing home fatalities spurred allegations of mismanagement by health authorities.

On March 25, Mattia Maestri, Codogno's "Patient 1", was released from hospital, cured.

Two months later, President Sergio Mattarella visited Codogno's cemetery, recalling the place "where our journey of suffering began". A marble plaque remembers the dead.&nbsp;

In his office at the Red Cross, as workers finish building a memorial outside, Parmigiani scrolls through an operations log from those first weeks in 2020.

He points to where the numbers begin to decline, and pauses: "We managed to fight something no one even knew what it was."

Entering the gate of the Codogno cemetery, with its four massive pillars and "Resurrection" written in Latin overhead, the ravages of coronavirus are not immediately apparent.

Entering the gate of the Codogno cemetery, with its four massive pillars and "Resurrection" written in Latin overhead, the ravages of coronavirus are not immediately apparent. But beyond the scores of kneeling marble angels and ornamental graves, a newer cloister of simple granite crypts bear witness to the onslaught of what was then a terrifying new virus on this modest northern Italian city. In a ceremony on Sunday, Codogno will mark one year since it recorded the first locally acquired case of Covid-19 in Italy, in what became the first major outbreak in Europe. The virus tore through the wider Lombardy region, marking Italy as the new epicentre of the global pandemic that has now claimed more than two million lives -- including almost 100,000 in Italy. February 23, February 24, February 28, read the dates on the shiny grey crypts. Underneath engraved names, and sometimes the image of a smiling face, the dates gain momentum: March 1, March 5, March 10, 13, 17... The surge in cases took everyone by surprise, said Roberto Codazzi, 58, the cemetery's deputy custodian. "In two months, we saw what we usually had in a year," he told AFP. With his colleague, Codazzi saw the intensity of the virus on display after Friday, February 21 -- when a 38-year-old man known as "Patient 1" was identified at the city's hospital after a doctor broke protocol to test him for coronavirus. On Saturday, there were already bodies lined up outside the cemetery for burial. 'Who will be next?' Today in Codogno, a small city of 15,000 people, talk of Covid-19 centres on shuttered businesses, rent to pay and the umpteenth restriction on normal life. Yet few can hear the sound of a siren without a pang. Emy Cavalli, the third-generation owner of the Central Bar on the main plaza, recalled the eerie, early days of the lockdown imposed on Codogno and 10 other northern communities after the first case was identified, immediately followed by the first two confirmed coronavirus deaths in Italy, one of them a 77-year-old woman outside Codogno. "I remember how silent it was," said Cavalli. "Every three minutes you heard the sound of an ambulance. "We asked ourselves, 'Who will it be? Who will be next?'" Within a month, Codogno's death toll more than tripled, with 154 deaths in March versus 49 in the same period a year earlier, Mayor Francesco Passerini told AFP. "They couldn't keep up," Passerini said of the cemetery workers, who were eventually reinforced by the civil protection unit. Caskets awaiting burial were stored in a shuttered church, the cemetery was shut to the public and funeral notices were printed without dates to discourage potential mourners from breaking the quarantine to pay their respects. The daily coffins awaiting custodian Codazzi frequently brought an unwelcome shock: "I said, 'Oh no, I know him! I just saw him a week ago.'" Codogno's Red Cross unit -- with experience in Iraq and beyond -- was zigzagging the territory, with almost 500 ambulance trips in March alone. "When they call us, we don't know what we're going to find," said the head of emergency services, Luciano Parmigiani. Meanwhile, family doctor Andrea Lozzi was working day and night to keep his patients out of the hospital, from which too often they never returned. Lozzi -- whose name locals evoke with reverence for his tireless work -- declines all interviews, explaining to AFP: "You have to put your hands into your work, and not your mouth." But the doctor's Facebook page -- a mix of medical advice and an occasional lost cat notice -- paints a picture of how Codogno slowly managed to emerge from the worst. "WHAT SATISFACTION! Today I could finally say to four of my patients, 'Ok, you did it, you're healed!'" wrote Lozzi on March 11, after weeks of house calls. A month after the first case, he wrote, "We don't know how far we have to go, but we know we will make it!" Four days later, Lozzi said he believed the virus had begun to wane in Codogno. 'Journey of suffering' The early lockdown likely helped. By the time Codogno's situation began to improve, attention had turned to the worst-hit province of Bergamo some 70 kilometres (43 miles) north, where images of army convoys transporting coffins broadcast the horror of Italy's outbreak to the world. As the country's death toll spiralled to 4,825 one month after Codogno's first case, some questioned whether a March 8 lockdown of populous Lombardy -- and Italy one day later -- had come too late, while scores of nursing home fatalities spurred allegations of mismanagement by health authorities. On March 25, Mattia Maestri, Codogno's "Patient 1", was released from hospital, cured. Two months later, President Sergio Mattarella visited Codogno's cemetery, recalling the place "where our journey of suffering began". A marble plaque remembers the dead. In his office at the Red Cross, as workers finish building a memorial outside, Parmigiani scrolls through an operations log from those first weeks in 2020. He points to where the numbers begin to decline, and pauses: "We managed to fight something no one even knew what it was."

One year on, Italian city in first coronavirus crosshairs remembers

While Bangladesh's garment industry tries to recover from the COVID-19 crisis buyers from Europe and America have started cancelling orders one by one. As a result, Bangladesh's largest export trade is under threat.

WION Fineprint: Bangladesh's garment workers continue to face COVID-19 hardships

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the United States will pay $200 million in WHO contribution by the end of February after reversing Donald Trump's plan to withdraw. Blinken said the US would also "provide significant financial support" to Covax, a global plan to distribute vaccines to the poorest nations.

Antony Blinken says US will pay $200 million in WHO contribution

Pakistan will take part in India led initiative on the Covid-19 crisis. The meet at the official level-- primarily health experts will focus on the exchange of good practices to deal with the crisis. Many of the countries who have been invited are members of the SAARC grouping.

In March last year, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a SAARC meet on the Covid-19 pandemic. The meet saw all the SAARC heads of govt/state taking part barring Pakistan. Pakistan was present at a junior level at the meeting. One of the key outcomes of the meet was the establishment of the SAARC emergency fund, with India contributing $10 million to it.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-fired-tear-gas-on-protesters-to-test-it-interior-minister-ahmad-claims-364118">Pakistan fired tear gas on protesters to 'test' it, Interior Minister Ahmad claims</a>

Amid the pandemic, India reached out to many countries in the region with medicines and other aid. It sent 75,000 MT of food aid to Afghanistan via Chabahar, medical equipment, and other related things like masks to Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh. Under Mission Sagar 1, while it reached out to 5 countries in the Indian Ocean--Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, and Seychelles by sending medicines and food aid.

This year, India gifted Covid vaccines to countries in the region. These are --Bangladesh with 20 lakh&nbsp;doses, Myanmar with 17 lakh&nbsp;doses, Nepal with 10 lakh, Bhutan with 1.5 lakh, the Maldives with 1 lakh, Mauritius with 1 lakh, Seychelles with 50000, Sri Lanka with 5 lakhs, and Afghanistan 5 lakh. This is additional to many countries in Latin America, CARICOM that New Delhi reached out. 
&nbsp;

Pakistan will take part in India led initiative on the Covid-19 crisis. The meet at the official level-- primarily health experts will focus on the exchange of good practices to deal with the crisis.

Pakistan will take part in India led initiative on the Covid-19 crisis. The meet at the official level-- primarily health experts will focus on the exchange of good practices to deal with the crisis. Many of the countries who have been invited are members of the SAARC grouping. In March last year, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a SAARC meet on the Covid-19 pandemic. The meet saw all the SAARC heads of govt/state taking part barring Pakistan. Pakistan was present at a junior level at the meeting. One of the key outcomes of the meet was the establishment of the SAARC emergency fund, with India contributing $10 million to it. Also read | Pakistan fired tear gas on protesters to 'test' it, Interior Minister Ahmad claims Amid the pandemic, India reached out to many countries in the region with medicines and other aid. It sent 75,000 MT of food aid to Afghanistan via Chabahar, medical equipment, and other related things like masks to Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh. Under Mission Sagar 1, while it reached out to 5 countries in the Indian Ocean--Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, and Seychelles by sending medicines and food aid. This year, India gifted Covid vaccines to countries in the region. These are --Bangladesh with 20 lakh doses, Myanmar with 17 lakh doses, Nepal with 10 lakh, Bhutan with 1.5 lakh, the Maldives with 1 lakh, Mauritius with 1 lakh, Seychelles with 50000, Sri Lanka with 5 lakhs, and Afghanistan 5 lakh. This is additional to many countries in Latin America, CARICOM that New Delhi reached out.

Pakistan to take part in India-led initiative on Covid-19 crisis

International pop sensation Ronan Keating says the Covid pandemic brought him closer to his family, and gave him time to write new music, though he yearns to get back on the stage and perform live. 
 
"I got to spend so much time at home with my family and my children, it has been wonderful. I have written a lot of music, which has been nice to be back in the studio in the house -- writing and that`s been wonderful," Keating told IANS while talking about how the pandemic impacted him and his life. 
 
"We have learned a lot about ourselves, and learnt a lot about the people that are important to us in our lives," he added. 
 
The one thing he misses is going on stage to perform. 
 
"I wouldn`t do anything differently (in my journey). I am missing live performance, I am missing getting out there and performing. I`m finding it very difficult. So, I would absolutely love to get back to performing again. That`s the dream. That is what I love to do. I need to get back to perform. So more than anything else would be to just get the music industry back up and running again and to get back performing," said the 43-year-old singer. 
 
Talking about his bond with his fans, he said: "I`ve been lucky. I have never been in situations like that (where fans go crazy). In the early days with Boyzone, it was a bit crazy, we used to land at the airports and there would be thousands of people waiting at the airport. 
 
"It was a bit insane. Things changed when I went solo. I still had the same success. But it wasn`t the same. The craziness about us and the hype was different. I have been lucky that I have kept my feet on the ground. I am respectful to everybody. They are respectful to me. I have never been in a situation where I`m scared, nor have I had an awful fame," he added. 
 
At the moment, the singer is working on "getting back to performing and singing again". 
 
"It has been so long since I have stood on a stage and, so I am getting myself back to the match, ready to perform and sing. That is really what my next goal -- it is to tour and (play) this album that I brought out last June," he said. 
 
"I haven`t had a chance to tour that yet and sing those songs live. So that`s the next process, (maybe) a world tour, which will take me through into 2022-2023 and then I will work on a new album during that time. But the next album won`t be for another couple of years," said Keating, who has associated with the GoNuts platform. 
 
&nbsp;

International pop sensation Ronan Keating says the Covid pandemic brought him closer to his family, and gave him time to write new music, though he yearns to get back on the stage and perform live.

International pop sensation Ronan Keating says the Covid pandemic brought him closer to his family, and gave him time to write new music, though he yearns to get back on the stage and perform live. "I got to spend so much time at home with my family and my children, it has been wonderful. I have written a lot of music, which has been nice to be back in the studio in the house -- writing and that`s been wonderful," Keating told IANS while talking about how the pandemic impacted him and his life. "We have learned a lot about ourselves, and learnt a lot about the people that are important to us in our lives," he added. The one thing he misses is going on stage to perform. "I wouldn`t do anything differently (in my journey). I am missing live performance, I am missing getting out there and performing. I`m finding it very difficult. So, I would absolutely love to get back to performing again. That`s the dream. That is what I love to do. I need to get back to perform. So more than anything else would be to just get the music industry back up and running again and to get back performing," said the 43-year-old singer. Talking about his bond with his fans, he said: "I`ve been lucky. I have never been in situations like that (where fans go crazy). In the early days with Boyzone, it was a bit crazy, we used to land at the airports and there would be thousands of people waiting at the airport. "It was a bit insane. Things changed when I went solo. I still had the same success. But it wasn`t the same. The craziness about us and the hype was different. I have been lucky that I have kept my feet on the ground. I am respectful to everybody. They are respectful to me. I have never been in a situation where I`m scared, nor have I had an awful fame," he added. At the moment, the singer is working on "getting back to performing and singing again". "It has been so long since I have stood on a stage and, so I am getting myself back to the match, ready to perform and sing. That is really what my next goal -- it is to tour and (play) this album that I brought out last June," he said. "I haven`t had a chance to tour that yet and sing those songs live. So that`s the next process, (maybe) a world tour, which will take me through into 2022-2023 and then I will work on a new album during that time. But the next album won`t be for another couple of years," said Keating, who has associated with the GoNuts platform.

Ronan Keating misses 'getting out there and performing'

As India edges closer towards taming COVID, the west is overwhelmed. 7 new variants have emerged in the US. The UK is still under lockdown and in France, only 1 vaccine dose is being administered. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how the west is still struggling with the Wuhan Virus.

Gravitas: The West is struggling with Wuhan Virus

33 States and Union Territories in India have less than 5,000 cases. New transmissions have dropped nearly 90%. Every key indicator says India's cases have drastically dropped. Is the Wuhan Virus fizzling out in India? WION's Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: India is winning the pandemic war

At the beginning of the Pandemic, the West predicted a disaster for India. Today - as the developed world struggles to cope with the Wuhan Virus, India is emerging as a success story. WION's Palki Sharma has more.

Gravitas: India gets Wuhan Virus under control

Investigators who went to Wuhan have revealed that China didn't share raw data with the WHO team. Reports suggest that there were heated exchanges between both sides - and China 'refused to hand over important data.' WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas | COVID-19 Origins Probe: China 'refused to share' important data

Israeli Health Ministry has adopted a characteristic to persuaded people for the vaccination, especially the ultra-orthodox. Countries orthodox Jews population have been disproportionately affected by the Coronavirus with misinformation about the vaccine. WION brings you a report.

Israel ultra orthodox Jews get Pizzas after vaccination

Another COVID-19 variant with a potentially worrying set of mutations has been detected in the UK, which is considered to be over 70% more deadly. This variant is known as 'B1525'.

32 cases of new COVID-19 variant 'B1525' found in UK

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered the country's biggest city Auckland into a snap lockdown for the first time in nearly six months on Sunday after three coronavirus cases emerged in the community.

New Zealand: COVID lockdown in Auckland for three days

The British health authority has announced that they've found 2 new variants of the deadly Coronavirus and one of the two mutations has sparked serious concerns among health authorities.

United Kingdom: 2 new COVID-19 variants detected in Bristol & Liverpool

As the United Kingdom scrambles to control various <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus </a>variants, the chief of the UK's genetic surveillance programme has predicted that the mutation found in Kent will "sweep the world".&nbsp;

Prof Sharon Peacock said that the Kent variant has "swept the country" and "it's going to sweep the world, in all probability" to BBC's Newscast podcast.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-kingdom-2-new-covid-19-variants-detected-in-bristol-liverpool-362776/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The variant, first detected in September 2020, has already been found in over 50 nations and was spreading wildly in the UK, causing a fresh lockdown in the region in January.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-finds-two-new-mutations-of-coronavirus-amid-virus-surge-362612">UK finds two new mutations of coronavirus amid virus surge</a>

"What's really affected us at the moment is transmissibility," Peacock added.&nbsp;

"Once we get on top of [the virus] or it mutates itself out of being virulent - causing disease - then we can stop worrying about it. But I think, looking in the future, we're going to be doing this for years. We're still going to be doing this 10 years down the line, in my view."

However, the professor, said the current vaccines approved by the British government appeared to work well against the various variants present in the kingdom.&nbsp;

In recent times, two new variants of Covid-19 were also detected in Liverpool and Bristol, prompting the UK government to curb the entry of international travellers.&nbsp;

The UK is one of the worst-hit countries from Covid-19 with 115,000 deaths and officials hope that the country has gone past the virus's peak.&nbsp;

Over 3.9 million cases have also been confirmed in Britain, though recently, hospitalisation numbers and death rates have declined substantially.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

As the United Kingdom scrambles to control various coronavirus variants, the chief of the UK's genetic surveillance programme has predicted that the mutation found in Kent will "sweep the world".

As the United Kingdom scrambles to control various coronavirus variants, the chief of the UK's genetic surveillance programme has predicted that the mutation found in Kent will "sweep the world". Prof Sharon Peacock said that the Kent variant has "swept the country" and "it's going to sweep the world, in all probability" to BBC's Newscast podcast. Watch | The variant, first detected in September 2020, has already been found in over 50 nations and was spreading wildly in the UK, causing a fresh lockdown in the region in January. Also read | UK finds two new mutations of coronavirus amid virus surge "What's really affected us at the moment is transmissibility," Peacock added. "Once we get on top of [the virus] or it mutates itself out of being virulent - causing disease - then we can stop worrying about it. But I think, looking in the future, we're going to be doing this for years. We're still going to be doing this 10 years down the line, in my view." However, the professor, said the current vaccines approved by the British government appeared to work well against the various variants present in the kingdom. In recent times, two new variants of Covid-19 were also detected in Liverpool and Bristol, prompting the UK government to curb the entry of international travellers. The UK is one of the worst-hit countries from Covid-19 with 115,000 deaths and officials hope that the country has gone past the virus's peak. Over 3.9 million cases have also been confirmed in Britain, though recently, hospitalisation numbers and death rates have declined substantially.

Coronavirus: Kent variant will 'sweep the world', says top genome sequencing expert

The WHO was supposed to give out information on the COVID-19 origin but instead it has left some gaping holes in the investigation. The briefing has led to more questions than answers. WHO said that the theory of making COVID-19 in the laboratory is highly unlikely.

WHO briefing on COVID-19 origin: Laboratory related hypothesis is highly unlikely

More than a year after the Coronavirus pandemic began, the World Health Organisation (WHO) team probing COVID-19 origin in the Chinese city Wuhan will brief the media today (09 February).

WHO team probing COVID-19 origins in China to brief media

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New Zealand: Auckland goes under a 7-day COVID-19 lockdown

EU leaders mull vaccine passports to resurrect tourism

COVID-19 Symptoms: Is loss of smell & taste permanent?

Students head back to classrooms in Germany as COVID-19 cases rise

UK PM to announce a roadmap to ease lockdown measures

One year on, Italian city in first coronavirus crosshairs remembers

WION Fineprint: Bangladesh's garment workers continue to face COVID-19 hardships

Antony Blinken says US will pay $200 million in WHO contribution

Pakistan to take part in India-led initiative on Covid-19 crisis

Ronan Keating misses 'getting out there and performing'

Gravitas: The West is struggling with Wuhan Virus

Gravitas: India is winning the pandemic war

Gravitas: India gets Wuhan Virus under control

Gravitas | COVID-19 Origins Probe: China 'refused to share' important data