The new research shows that this highly infectious variant is also 30 to 100% more deadly than previous variants. Establishing mortality of B.1.1.7Researchers from the UK conducted a matched cohort study involving 54 906 matched pairs of participants who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19 disease) between 1 October 2020 and 29 January 2021. The researchers compared the death rates of those infected with B.1.1.7 to those infected with other variants of the virus. “In the community, death from Covid-19 is still a rare event, but the B.1.1.7 variant raises the risk. Coupled with its ability to spread rapidly, this makes B.1.1.7 a threat that should be taken seriously,” warned lead author of the study, Robert Challen.

Source: News 24 March 16, 2021 09:11 UTC