In December 2020, a new strain of the COVID-19 coronavirus was reported in the news and that caught a lot of attention. According to researchers, Mutations in viruses are not new. All viruses mutate (change) over time, some more than others and the coronavirus is no different. Researchers have seen multiple variants of the coronavirus that are different from the version first seen in China, but the December 2020 strain caught more attention because it accounted for about 60% of new COVID-19 cases.
There are suggestions that the new strain is more contagious, spreading from person to person and affecting a lot more people, but further studies have not clarified these suggestions.
The new coronavirus strain doesn’t call for any new prevention strategies. We need to continue maintaining COVID-19 safeguards: masking, physical distancing, good hand hygiene, good ventilation indoors, and limiting gatherings of people in close proximity with poor ventilation. Nonetheless, researchers will continue to be vigilant for any changes in the current situation.
Human behavior is very important. The more people who are infected, the more chances there-in for a mutation to occur and produce a new strain. Limiting the spread of the virus through (mask wearing, physical distancing and practicing hand hygiene) gives the virus fewer chances to spread. We give the virus an advantage to evolve when we congregate in more confined spaces.
As a company, DLE will continue to maintain the following COVID -19 safeguards to limit the spread of the virus and we encourage all personnel, clients and stakeholders within DLE premises to comply.
- Temperature checks at the gate
- Hand washing for at least 20 seconds
- Use of Alcohol based hand sanitizers
- Daily work surface disinfection
- Use of face masks
- No large gathering in closed spaces
- Good ventilation
- Physical distancing of at least 2m