The English variant of COVID-19 is 64% more deadly than the original virus

Given its short lifespan of around 14 days, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus he only has one mission to complete each time he infects. And it is to survive. It seeks to do this by infecting healthy organisms where it replicates millions of times in their cells.

More than a year after the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus worldwide, the virus acquired random mutations minors since switching from animals to humans. These mutations usually take the form of single letter typos in the viral genetic code or longer stretch insertions.

But During the copying process errors often appear which, although often ineffective, sometimes produce changes such as in some of the amino acids that make up virus proteins. Thus, the three-dimensional structure of these macromolecules can be altered, and with it the properties of the virus, making it more virulent, aggressive, weak or more contagious.

British scientists yesterday published a study in which they found that Not only is the English variant of COVID-19 more contagious, it is also 64% more deadly than the classic coronavirus.

The research, which confirms the first estimates for January, explains that the virus is between 30% and 100% more deadly than previous dominant variants. Out of 1000 cases detected, the English variant causes 4.1 deaths against 2.5 for the classic coronavirus, conclude the authors of the work published in the medical journal British medical journal (BMJ). “There is a high probability that the risk of mortality increases with infection with this variant,” wrote researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol.

The study that compared death rates among people in Britain infected with the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, known as B.1.1.7, with those infected with other variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Scientists said the new variant had a “significantly higher” death rate.

In January, NERVTAG, a group that advises the UK government, reported a “realistic possibility” that this variant would have a higher mortality. The group estimated that its lethality (risk of death in infected people) could be between 30 and 40% higher, based on several studies, such as the one that was validated this Wednesday when it was published to the BMJ. Its authors relied on data from 110,000 people who tested positive outside of hospital between October and January.

Half had been infected with the classic coronavirus and the other with the English variant (called VOC 202012/01 or B.1.1.7). The study concluded that the second could be 64% more deadly. “These data reinforce the importance of vaccinating people,” said Simon Clarke, professor at the University of Reading, quoted by the British organization Science Media Center and who was not involved in the study.

The B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in Britain in September 2020 and has since been found in over 100 other countries as well. It has 23 mutations in its genetic code, a relatively large number, and some of them have made it spread much more easily. Infection with the new variant caused 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 patients with COVID-19, compared with 141 among the same number of patients infected with other variants.

“Coupled with its ability to spread rapidly, this makes B.1.1.7 a threat that must be taken seriously,” said Robert Challen, a researcher at the University of Exeter who co-led the research.

Lawrence Young, virologist and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick, said that the precise mechanisms behind the higher mortality rate of variant B.1.1.7 were not yet clear, but “they could be linked to higher levels of viral replication, as well as greater transmissibility.” And he warned that the UK variant was likely behind a recent spike in infections in Europe.

Currently there three main known variants that worry scientists: the South African, known to scientists as 20I / 501Y.V2 or B.1.351; the British or Kentish, officially 20I / 501Y.V1 or B.1.1.7; and the brazilian, called P.1.

“The Kent variant is going to sweep the world in all likelihood. What is worrying about this is this variant 1.1.7. that we have circulated starts to mutate again and get new mutations that could affect the way we deal with the virus in terms of immunity and vaccine effectiveness. “The head of the UK genetic surveillance program told reporters a few days ago: Sharon peacock, who works as COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium director.

Among its characteristics, the British variant has a mutated “spike” protein on the outside which makes it better at invading the body. And according to a scientific study by researchers at the University of Birmingham and the government body Public Health of England o Public health England in english too it is 70% more contagious than the original because it replicates in the throat.

In another study, published in MedRxiv and not yet peer reviewed, it is noted: “Clearly, the highest viral loads deduced from the samples of the new variant, indicated by an undetectable viral S gene target, could determine the infectivity of the subjects and therefore the ability of the virus to be transmitted subsequently“.

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