LONDON – British officials warned on Friday that a variant of the coronavirus first identified in the UK could be more lethal and more transmissible than previous versions of the pathogen.
The conclusions of scientists advising the British government are still extremely uncertain. But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised address that the variant – which has caused a rise in Covid-19 infections in the UK and is spreading rapidly in the US – could lead to higher death rates.
US federal health officials said it is likely to become the dominant option in the United States by March.
“We were informed today that in addition to the faster spread, there now seems to be some evidence that the new variant – the variant that was first identified in London and the South East – could be associated with a higher mortality rate.” , said Mr. Johnson.
Provisional findings come as British hospitals deal with more patients with Covid-19 than at any time during the pandemic. The death toll from Covid-19 in the UK is estimated to exceed 100,000 next week.