WHO: New virus variant found in five other countries besides Britain

The new variant of the coronavirus that has alarmed Britain has also been found in single individuals in Australia, Iceland, Italy and the Netherlands, as well as a few cases in Denmark, World Health Organization officials say.

Although the new variant is spreading more quickly than previously known variants, the transmission is nowhere as fast as measles, mumps and chickenpox, WHO health emergencies chief Mike Ryan told a press conference

The new variant that has been found in South Africa is similar to the one in Britain, but the two are not connected, WHO chief Covid-19 researcher Maria Van Kerkhove said.