The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with UK officials to review recent data, suggesting that there is “a realistic possibility” that variant B.1.1.7 COVID-19 is not only more contagious, but more deadly.
In an article released on Friday by Britain’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threat Advisory Group, scientists said “some preliminary analyzes have been carried out that show that there may be an increase in the severity of the disease associated with this new variant, B.1.1.7. “
The group noted that infection mortality rates remain low and that the new data is based on a “relatively small number of people” out of “a small number of settings”.
“More data is being collected and the position will become clearer in the coming weeks,” wrote the group.
But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted on Friday: “Now we have learned that, in addition to spreading more quickly, the new variant of the virus can also be associated with a higher degree of mortality. Therefore, it is more important than ever that we all follow the rules and stay at home, protect the (National Health Service) and save lives. “
A CDC official told CNN on Saturday that the agency “has contacted UK officials and is reviewing its new mortality data associated with variant B.1.1.7.”
First identified in the UK in November, the variant spread across the country and was broadcast to more than 50 countries, including the United States.
More than one case was discovered in Massachusetts, including a resident of Worcester County who traveled to the United Kingdom during the holiday season. For more information on B.1.1.7. tension, read here.
Previous data from the UK and the CDC showed that the new strain is more contagious, but does not lead to more severe symptoms or a higher rate of hospitalizations or death. But public health officials still called for caution and encouraged continued efforts at social distance and vaccinations in light of B.1.1.7. strain and a similar one detected in South Africa and Brazil.
“I’m concerned … that once it spreads more easily, more people will be infected,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist, researcher and director of innovation at Boston Children’s Hospital, in a recent post about the strain. “This would likely lead to more hospitalizations and deaths, which highlights that we still need to take public health measures seriously, such as wearing masks and social distance.”
Brownstein noted that many variants of the COVID-19 virus are already circulating around the world, which is expected with any virus. “Most have only a few genetic changes that do not drastically change the behavior of the virus,” he said.
He added that variant B.1.1.7 “did not acquire enough mutations to escape vaccine coverage”, so existing vaccines being administered across the country will still neutralize the variant.
According to the CDC, B.1.1.7. may become the predominant source of the virus in the United States in March. Nearly 200 cases have been detected in at least 22 states, CNN reported.
Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 transition team, told CNN that data from the UK’s recent report “convinced” him that the new variant is more deadly.
“The data is accumulating – and some of it I can’t share – that clearly supports that B.1.1.7 is causing more serious illness and increasing the number of deaths,” he said. “We already know that this variant has increased transmission, so this is very bad news.”
More than 25 million Americans contracted COVID-19 and more than 417,000 died during the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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