U.K. COVID-19 Variant Causes, ‘More Severe Illness,’, Study Says.<br />A new study published in the journal ‘Nature’<br />has found that the U.K. COVID-19 variant is not only<br />more transmissible but more deadly.<br />The study took a look at data from almost<br />5,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.K. and<br />found that two-thirds of those deaths were<br />confirmed to have the variant, B.1.1.7. .<br />Those infected with B.1.1.7. were at a 55 percent higher risk of dying within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19. .<br />Another recently published study found<br />similar results; people who tested positive<br />for B.1.1.7. in a community setting were<br />more likely to die within 28 days.<br />Thankfully, the COVID-19 vaccines appear<br />to be highly effective against B.1.1.7., making<br />fast vaccine rollout even more vital. .<br />B.1.1.7. was first detected in<br />the U.K. last fall and sparked<br />the country’s second wave of<br />infection in the winter.<br />The U.K. experienced a devastatingly high<br />number of deaths, leaving them with the second<br />most COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 in the world. .<br />With B.1.1.7. already having spread across the globe and even<br />expected to become the dominant strain in the United States, lead<br />author Nick Davies hopes his study can “serve as a warning.” .<br />The B.1.1.7 variant is more transmissible, and<br />our research provides strong evidence that is also<br />causes more severe illness. This should serve as<br />a warning to other countries that they need to<br />remain vigilant against B.1.1.7, which has already<br />spread to over 90 countries worldwide, Nick Davies, via ‘Forbes’
