UK variant 30-100% more lethal than previous Covid strains
Context: The so-called ‘UK variant’ of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which was discovered in Kent and swept across the UK last year before spreading worldwide, is between 30% and 100% more deadly than previous strains.
Details:
- Epidemiologists from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol compared death rates among people infected with the new variant and those infected with other strains.
- They found that the new variant, B.1.1.7, led to 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 patients – compared to 141 among the same number of closely matched patients who had the previous strains.
- SARS-CoV-2 appears able to mutate quickly, and there is a real concern that other variants will arise with resistance to rapidly rolled out vaccines.
- Monitoring for new variants as they arise, measuring their characteristics and acting appropriately needs to be a key part of the public health response in the future.
- According to the World Health Organization, the new variant has been already detected in over 100 countries.