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The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on European countries to do more to curb a new variant of coronavirus that was first detected in the UK, BBC reported. WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said tougher measures were needed to "flatten the steep vertical line" of rising cases in some countries.

He said 22 European countries now have cases of the variant, calling this "an alarming situation".

First detected in November, the variant has driven a spike in cases in the UK.

Its spread has concerned many European countries that have already imposed full national lockdowns to tackle a marked rise in infections during winter.

Health experts say the variant is considerably more transmissible than previous strains but not necessarily any more dangerous for those infected. They have also played down the possibility that vaccines will not be as effective against the variant.