Studies show that the coronavirus variant first detected in the UK is “probably” more lethal than the original strain, British government scientists said in an assessment released on Friday.
Why does it matter: The most contagious variant B.1.1.7 has been discovered in 82 countries, including the United States, according to the New York Times.
- Cases of the new variant could be doubling in the U.S. almost every 10 days and could be the dominant version of the virus in the country by March, according to a study published by MedRxiv this week.
Details: In the new assessment, British scientists estimate that the variant could be 30% to 70% more deadly than the original strain.
- But they added that they would need more data on deaths in more extensive studies before they could definitively conclude that the variant is more deadly.
- The new development comes about two months after the British government warned that variant B.1.1.7 is more transmissible than other forms of the virus.
The big picture: Moderna and Pfizer have found that their vaccines are effective against the UK variant and another variant first discovered in South Africa.
Go deeper: New variants of coronavirus could lead to a longer and deadlier pandemic