The mutated coronavirus strain that has spread to the UK appears to be more contagious and is likely to lead to higher levels of hospitalizations and deaths next year, a new study has shown.
The variant is 56% more transmissible than other strains, according to study conducted by the Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. There is no clear evidence that a more or less severe disease results.
The British government has previously said that the mutant variant appears to be up to 70% more transmissible than other circulating strains. In addition, it has nearly two dozen mutations that could affect the proteins produced by the coronavirus, Patrick Vallance, Britain’s chief scientific adviser, said on December 19th.
This has raised concerns that newly launched tests, treatments and vaccines may be less effective, although the European health regulator has said the option is likely not to be sufficiently different from those. previous to evade the blow Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. Countries such as Australia, Denmark and Singapore have also discovered the strain.
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Measures such as England’s national blockade in November are unlikely to reduce the number of reproductions – new infections estimated to come from a single case – to less than 1, unless schools and universities are also closed. shows in the report. He also said it may be necessary to accelerate vaccine launches to limit its spread to 2 million people a week, at the current rate of 200,000.