- The first rapidly spreading study of the coronavirus mutation in the United Kingdom now warns that stricter security measures may be needed to prevent another massive outbreak.
- Computer models have indicated that the virus can be 56% more infectious than other strains. The new mutation is not causing more serious illness, however.
- Researchers warn that schools may need to be closed to save more time for the UK. They also say that vaccination campaigns should be accelerated to reduce the spread of the virus.
When the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom announced last week that the recently discovered coronavirus mutation may be 70% more infectious than other strains, some experts questioned the estimate, saying that more data is needed to determine the potential danger of the strain. Many European countries have banned travel to the UK to reduce the risk of strain B.1.1.7 traveling to the rest of the EU region. The mutation carries a collection of 17 genetic changes, the first for notable coronavirus mutations. While it may not cause more serious cases of COVID-19, these mutations can make you more infectious. Some health experts have even warned that the changes could make existing vaccines less effective, although many others have said that there are no such concerns. The consensus was that more research was needed to determine the way forward. The new strain must be tested in laboratories to determine how infectious it really is and whether it can escape the neutralizing antibodies generated after vaccines.
The first study of the new coronavirus strain is here now and tells the world that the threat could be serious. Stricter measures, including the closing of schools and universities, as well as accelerated vaccination campaigns, may be necessary to prevent epidemic B.1.1.7 from getting out of control.
Best deal of the day 
Best-selling respirators are on sale for just $ 2.12 each, thanks to this Amazon coupon List price:$ 49.99 Price:$ 42.49 You save:$ 7.50 (15%) 
Available on Amazon, BGR can receive a commission Available on Amazon BGR can receive a commission
The study comes from the Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and was published online in a pre-printed format. Scientists have found that the UK mutation is 56% more contagious than other versions circulating in the country and will require additional containment measures. The 56% estimate is still approximate, as the researchers are collecting more data. The study found no evidence that the virus was more lethal than other strains, which is at least good news.
“It may be necessary to speed up the launch of the vaccine a lot,” said Nicholas Davies, lead author of the study. The New York Times. “The preliminary findings are quite convincing that a faster vaccination will be something really important for any country that has to deal with this or similar variants.”
Scientists did not study the virus’s behavior in laboratory tests, but used computer models to predict the severity of the pathogen. Their tests have ruled out the possibility that the B.1.1.7 strain has become prevalent in some parts of the UK because people in these places move more than others and are likely to come into contact with more people. The scientists also modeled what could happen in the next six months and built models using various levels of restriction. “Cases, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths in 2021 may exceed those in 2020”, without a substantial vaccination campaign. The UK has recorded nearly 2.2 million cases so far this year, including almost 70,000 deaths.
Researchers say that closing schools by February could give the country some time. The lifting of restrictions would lead to a large increase in cases.
A vaccination model where 200,000 people are vaccinated each week showed that the pace would be too slow to affect the spread of the mutant virus. “That kind of rhythm wouldn’t be able to withstand much relaxation from any of the control measures,” said Davies. If weekly vaccinations reach 2 million, transmission of COVID-19 could drop. But vaccine supply is still low and it will take a while for vaccination campaigns to increase. Even when sufficient supplies are available, it is unclear whether the country can increase vaccines to 2 million a week.
Best deal of the day 
Save 32% on giant 2-liter bottles of Purell List price:$ 97.95 Price:$ 57.00 ($ 0.42 / Fl Oz) You save:$ 40.95 (42%) Available on Amazon, BGR can receive a commission Available on Amazon BGR can receive a commission
Like any other COVID-19 study, this study could benefit from additional data and may have limitations that impacted the models. Some experts who analyzed the study to The times pointed out some potential problems, including the assumption that people under the age of 20 had a 50% chance of spreading the disease. But even these researchers made it clear that the mutation must be taken seriously or could lead to another serious outbreak.
The full study is available at this link.
Chris Smith started writing about gadgets as a hobby and, before he knew it, was sharing his views on technology with readers around the world. Whenever he’s not writing about gadgets, he fails miserably to stay away from them, although he tries desperately. But this is not necessarily a bad thing.