"So, I think everything is possible we just need to put everything on the table, have an open scientific discussion and make a best recommendation."
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN he would advise against additional restrictions on UK travel if the matter arises in a task force meeting planned for later in the day.
The US must "without a doubt keep an eye on it," Fauci said Monday, but he warned that "we don't want to overreact."
Fauci said that while he wasn't criticizing other
countries that have suspended flights to the UK, he would not at this time recommend the US take those same steps.
"Follow it carefully, but don't overreact to it," Fauci said.
12 hr 45 min ago
Viruses mutate often, and research is underway to determine what new UK variant means, WHO official says
From CNN's Naomi Thomas
Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s technical lead for Covid-19, on December 21. CNN
A new coronavirus variant discovered in the UK
has prompted a new lockdown and travel bans.
But a World Health official says viruses mutate and change all the time, and there are processes in place "to really evaluate what these mutations are and what they mean."
Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s technical lead for Covid-19, told CNN’s Erica Hill Monday:
"So far, we don’t see any increase in disease severity, or clinical picture, but those studies are underway."
"We don’t anticipate any impact on the vaccine and on vaccination," she added. "And I think that’s really important as well, but the studies need to be done. We need to make sure we follow the science, and we will report, the UK and WHO will report information as soon as we learn it."
Van Kerkhove explained that the variant under investigation was detected through routine surveillance activities. There was increasing transmission in the southeast of England as it moved from Tier 2 to Tier 3 restrictions. It was retrospectively identified that some had the lineage back in September.
WHO was alerted of the variant on Dec. 14 and over the last week it has been working with scientists in the UK through their regional office in Europe and the European Centers for Disease Control to understand, Van Kerkhove said.