C
Chris Smith
Guest
- The UK coronavirus mutation isn’t more deadly than other SARS-CoV-2 strains and does not cause more severe cases of COVID-19.
- However, the B.1.1.7 mutation spreads more efficiently than other strains and can infect more people.
- Experts explain that the increase in COVID-19 transmissibility could lead to more deaths, even if the virus itself isn’t more deadly.
The UK reported nearly 56,000 COVID-19 cases on December 31st, a new pandemic record for the country. The previous record of more than 53,000 infections was only one day old at the time. The B.1.1.7 mutation that was announced to the world a few weeks ago is believed to be responsible for the soaring case numbers in a country that was already in a soft lockdown just a month earlier. The UK reached more than 33,000 daily cases in mid-November, and then it seemed to flatten the curve. That record was broken on December 17th, when more than 35,000 new cases were recorded. Since then, the number of cases has increased dramatically, just as UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced even more severe restrictions for parts of the country ahead of Christmas and New Year’s. The fact that the UK registered the highest number of COVID-19 cases on December 31st is also very telling, suggesting even higher figures might follow in the coming days and weeks. A spike in deaths may be seen in the coming weeks, as some of the patients who have been just diagnosed with the illness will not survive the infection.
Scientists already have plenty of good news about B.1.1.7. The mutated strain does not cause more severe COVID-19, so it’s not more deadly. One of the genetic changes also allows doctors to detect the new variant with a PCR test rather than more complex genetic sequencing. A recent study suggested that the new coronavirus strain likely can’t infect people who already had COVID-19, which is great news. That’s also an indication that vaccines will prevent severe COVID-19 after infection from the B.1.1.7 strain just like other strains. But despite all that, some scientists worry that the higher transmission rates of the UK mutation will likely still lead to more deaths in the near future.
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The UK coronavirus mutation isn’t more deadly – but it can still send COVID deaths soaring originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 3 Jan 2021 at 09:03:34 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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