The COVID-19 variant that originated in the UK and is now spreading in the United States could be up to 70 percent more deadly than previous versions of the bug, according to a British study.
A group that includes experts from universities and public agencies in the UK found that the variant – known as B.1.1.7 – is probably about 30 to 70 percent more deadly than the original strain, according to Fox News.
Scientists had previously determined that the so-called Kent variant – named after the county where it was first detected – was probably much more transmissible.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted last month that “may also be associated with a higher degree of mortality”.
The new follow-up study, which examined a larger sample of patients, appeared to confirm these conclusions.
The findings of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threat Advisory Group were published on Friday on the government’s website.
“There is evidence from analyzing several different data sets that infection with VOC B1.1.7 is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization [sic] and death compared to infection by ”other forms of the virus, the authors wrote.
The highly transmissible variant has spread to more than 80 countries, including the United States, where more than 1,000 cases have been reported in 40 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the United States, where the mutation was first identified in Colorado, it was also detected in New York, California, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Indiana and Utah, among others.
“These variants appear to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which could lead to more cases of COVID-19,” according to the CDC. “An increase in the number of cases will put more pressure on health resources, lead to more hospitalizations and potentially more deaths.”
The results of the analysis are worrying, said Dr. David Strain, senior clinical professor at the University of Exeter Medical School and clinical leader at COVID-19 at Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.
“Greater transmissibility means that people who were previously at low risk of contracting COVID (particularly younger, fit women) are now picking up and ending up in the hospital,” said Strain.
“This is highlighted by the latest hospitalization figures, which now suggest a ratio of almost 50:50 men to women, compared to the predominance of men during the first wave. ″
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