There is no evidence that the novel coronavirus has changed both in terms of the transmissibility and the severity of the disease, the COVID-19 technical lead at the World Health Organization (WHO), told on June 1 in a virtual briefing.

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The statement came in the wake of the recent media reports, citing Alberto Zangrillo, the head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Italy's Milan, that the novel coronavirus was losing its potency, while the fatality risk was decreasing. According to the doctor, a test run over the past 10 days showed that a viral load in quantitative terms was much less compared to the one carried out a month or two months ago. "In terms of the transmissibility, that has not changed. In terms of the severity that has not changed," Van Kerkhove said.

According to the WHO expert, the virus still has an ability to cause a super-spreading event, while continuing to cause severe disease in about 20 per cent of infected individuals. "But what I think is important and what these scientists may be talking about -- because I have not seen this particular report -- is that there are measures that we can put in place to reduce transmission, to suppress transmission, and these include finding, testing, isolating, caring for all cases, tracing and quarantining all contacts, ensuring that we have mobilized and engaged public, ensuring that we have an all-of-society, all-of-government approach," Van Kerkhove said.

The expert added that these fundamentals that the WHO was talking about since the beginning of the outbreak -- early treatment, early identification, early oxygen support -- remain consistent. These are the things that, according to the organization, reduce the potency.