Rapidly growing UK variant Covid-19, affecting more people under 20: study – World News

The new variant of SARS-CoV-2, believed to have originated in the UK, is growing rapidly and affecting a greater proportion of people under the age of 20, according to a study. A collaborative team of researchers from Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, Public Health England, Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of Birmingham and the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium assessed the relationship between the transmission and frequency of the new variant over a period of time.

“There is a consensus among all analyzes that VOC (the variant of concern or new variant) has a substantial transmission benefit,” the study said.

According to the study, the reproduction number of the new variant is currently between 1.4 and 1.8. He said the estimated difference between the reproduction number of the mutation is 0.4 to 0.7 higher compared to other variants of the virus. The reproduction number reflects the number of people likely to be infected by a single individual in a homogeneous population.

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The study also found that people under the age of 20 accounted for a higher proportion of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases infected with the new variant. However, the researchers said it was too early to determine the mechanism behind this change. They suggested that this may be in part because lockdowns were in place in some places but schools were open.

‘These scans, which have informed UK government planning in recent weeks, show that the new variant of concern, B.1.1.7, has significantly higher transmissibility than previous SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the UK. Uni, ”Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London said in a statement.

Dr Erik Volz, co-author of the study, said very rarely will a virus change in a way that requires us to reassess public health policy. Volz added that there is overwhelming evidence of a change in the transmissibility of the new variant that should be taken into account when planning the Covid-19 response in the New Year.