WHO warns new COVID-19 variant is spreading quickly in parts of Europe
March 11, 2022, 6:46 am

WHO warns new COVID-19 variant is spreading quickly in parts of Europe

The World Health Organization (WHO) at their headquarters in Geneva amid the COVID-19 outbreak. (AFP)

The Arab News reported, the World Health Organization has warned that a new COVID-19 variant, which is a combination of the previously identified delta and omicron versions, is spreading quickly in parts of Europe.

The organization said on Wednesday that the variant, dubbed “deltacron” by some, “has been found to be spreading in France, Holland and Denmark. WHO also believes it has also identified two cases in the US. It plans to publish a report of its findings soon.

The worrying announcement came just days before March 11, the second anniversary of the day on which the WHO declared a global pandemic. The organization issued grave warnings that the new variant has the potential to become a major problem in both Europe and US. Some experts, however, are not so concerned.

Covid-19 (File photo: Shuterstock) — World Health Organization warns that a new COVID-19 variant is spreading quickly in parts of Europe (File photo: Shutterstock)

William Lee, chief science officer at Helix, a lab in California that sequences COVID-19 samples, told the Daily Mail: “The fact that there is not that much of it, that even the two cases we saw were different, suggests that it’s probably not going to elevate to a variant-of-concern level.”

Overall numbers of deltacron cases remain low, even in countries where some person-to-person spread has been detected. Lee said he does not even expect the variant to warrant its own name based on Greek letters.

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In the US and most of Europe, where virus cases and deaths generally have been falling, the highly infectious omicron variant remains the dominant strain.

Source: arabnews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.