Mutant variants pose very high COVID risk in Europe, ECDC agency says

Three mutant variants of the coronavirus that emerged in Britain, South Africa and Brazil pose a high risk in Europe as they have led to increased transmissibility, Europe's disease surveillance agency said on Thursday.

"Based on the new information, the risk associated with the introduction and community spread of variants of concern has been increased to high/very high," the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a risk assessment.