A new variant of coronavirus discovered in the UK is now circulating in the United States, with variant B.1.1.7 most recently identified in New York in a man who has no recent travel history.
The variant is considered more transmissible than COVID-19 – although, from now on, it is not considered more virulent or resistant to vaccines and treatment. That said, a new study suggests who may be most at risk of contracting B.1.1.7: People under the age of 20.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at Imperial College London and others and has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that those under the age of 20 are more likely to make up a higher percentage of cases B.1.1.7 – or the which is identified in the study as the “Variant of Concern” or VOC.
The available data indicate “a change in the age composition of reported cases, with a higher proportion of under 20s among reported VOC cases than cases without VOC”, according to the study.
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However, the researchers said it is too early to determine the “mechanism behind this change”, noting that it may have been influenced, in part, by “the spread of variants coinciding with a period when the blockade was in place, but the schools were open “.
“Further research is underway on the specific nature of any changes in how the virus affects this age group,” noted a press release on the findings.
Unlike COVID-19, B.1.1.7 may be more likely to infect children, suggests the study, which echoes the concerns expressed by Professor Neil Ferguson, a scientist at Imperial College London and author of the study, in December.
At the time, Ferguson warned that the initial analysis “indicates that he is more likely to infect children”.
“If it were true, this could explain a significant proportion, perhaps even the majority, of the increase in transmission seen,” he added, according to the BBC.
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The Imperial College London study also estimated the reproduction number (R0) of the new variant to be between 1.4 and 1.8.
“These analyzes, which informed the UK government’s planning in recent weeks, show that the new variant of concern, B.1.1.7, has substantially greater transmissibility than previous SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the United Kingdom “said Ferguson in a statement. “This will make control more difficult and will further accentuate the urgency to implant vaccination as quickly as possible.”
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“All viruses evolve and very rarely does a virus change in a way that requires a reassessment of public health policies,” added Dr. Erik Volz, a scientist at Imperial College London and one of the study’s authors, in a statement. “We found overwhelming evidence of a change in the transmissibility of variant B.1.1.7 that must be taken into account when planning our COVID-19 response in the new year.”
Fox News’s Kayla Rivas contributed to this report.