Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The coronavirus continues to mutate, so we should expect the emergence of new especially dangerous variants. Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adan Ghebreyesus announced this at a briefing today, TASS reports.

The virus continues to change, said the head of the organization. Therefore, one should expect the emergence of new especially dangerous variants of it in addition to the four strains currently assigned to this group - alpha, beta, gamma and delta. 

Geybreyesus stressed that the sharp rise in incidence in recent weeks in five of the six WHO regions is due in large part to the highly contagious delta variant. This strain is now found in no less than 132 countries. 

The WHO has not identified an increased mortality rate from the delta variant of the coronavirus. This was stated at a briefing today by the expert of the World Health Organization Maria van Kerkhove.

The expert noted that the delta option is of serious concern to the organization. According to her, it is more infectious than even the alpha variant. There are laboratory studies that show that this strain is spreading faster.

“At the same time, we did not register an increased mortality rate,” said van Kerkhove. She stressed that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection, including the delta option.