The World Health Organization (WHO) will “read carefully” a Chinese study on a new flu virus found in pigs, a spokesman said on Tuesday, saying the findings underscored the importance of influenza surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new flu virus found in Chinese pigs has become more infectious to humans and needs to be watched closely in case it becomes a potential “pandemic virus”, the study said. “We will read carefully the paper to understand what is new,” the WHO’s Christian Lindmeier told a Geneva briefing, saying it was important to collaborate on findings and keep tabs on animal populations.