A patient is taken to an ambulance in front of the Royal London Hospital in London during the third national blockade in England to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Image date: Wednesday, February 17, 2021.
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The highly contagious variant of coronavirus first identified in the UK is associated with a 64% higher risk of dying from Covid-19 than previous strains, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers at the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol analyzed data from more than 100,000 patients in the UK from October 1 to January 28. They compared death rates among people infected with B.1.1.7, the variant first found in the UK, and those infected with other previously circulating strains.
The researchers, who published their results on Wednesday, said people infected with B.1.1.7 are more likely to die between 32% and 104%. This translates into a central estimate of 64%, they said, adding that “the absolute risk of death in this largely unvaccinated population remains low.”
“In the community, death due to COVID-19 is still a rare occurrence, but variant B.1.1.7 increases the risk. Together with its ability to spread rapidly, this makes B.1.1.7 a threat that should be taken into account. “Robert Challen, the lead author of the study in Exeter, said in a press release.
The researchers said that B.1.1.7 led to 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 patients. This compares with 141 deaths in approximately the same number of patients who were infected with other strains.
They said that the variant already detected in over 50 countries around the world, “the analysis provides essential information to governments and health officials to prevent its spread.”
The UK has identified B.1.1.7, which appears to be spreading more easily and faster than other strains, in the autumn of 2020. It has since spread to other parts of the globe, including the US, which has identified 3,283 cases since on Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. US health officials say they are working to identify more cases.
The new study comes about two months after a CDC study warned that B.1.1.7 could become the dominant strain in the United States. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told JAMA on February 17 that variant B.1.1.7 is considered to be about 50% more transmissible, and early data indicate that it could be up to 50% more virulent or more deadly.
The new variants are of particular concern to public health officials, as they could become more resistant to antibody treatments and vaccines. Senior health officials, including White House Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Fauci, urge Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible, saying the virus cannot move if it cannot infect hosts and reproduce.