The new Covid-19 variant, first found in the UK, is growing fast, is more transmissible than other variants and affects a higher proportion of people under 20, according to a study.
The study is a collaborative effort of scientists and researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Edinburgh, Public Health England, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Birmingham and the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium.
As of December 30, at least 27 countries, Hong Kong and Taiwan have reported cases of the new species so far, according to CNN reporting.
“There is a consensus among all analyzes that the VOC [the Variant of Concern or new variant] has a significant transmission advantage, ”the study said. It added that the difference between the mutation’s reproduction number, compared to other variants of the virus, is 0.4 to 0.7 higher. The reproduction number indicates the number of individuals to which an infected person transmits the virus.
According to the research, the reproduction number for the new variant is currently between 1.4 and 1.8.
These analyzes, which have briefed the UK government’s schedule in recent weeks, show that the new form of concern, B.1.1.7, has significantly higher transmissibility than previous SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the UK Said Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London.
The study also said that although people under the age of 20 make up a higher proportion of cases of the new variant of the virus, it is too soon to determine the reason.
Because the new variant is more easily transmissible, it will be more difficult to control, said Ferguson, who stressed the “urgency to roll out vaccination as soon as possible.”
Dr. Erik Volz of Imperial College said that “all viruses evolve, and very rarely will a virus change in a way that requires us to re-evaluate public health policy,” noting that experts had found overwhelming evidence of a change in the transferability of the disease. B.1.1.7 variant to consider when planning our Covid-19 response in the new year. ”
On Monday, the UK will roll out the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, which was approved for use on Wednesday.