With the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus there are different variants cased by mutations. Whether these lead to the virus possessing different degrees of illness-trigger severity vary. To an extent, virologists can gauge some of a given variant’s potential threat by assessing the mutations it carries. Scientists have produced a growing list of mutations that could boost transmission or even help a virus evade the body’s immune responses. This information is either based on epidemiological studies or from direct laboratory studies. This latter approach has drawn out new information about a new variant of concern.
Results relating to one of the variants of the coronavirus, called B.1.1.7 (also known as VOC 202012/01), appears far more likely to cause more severe forms of the COVID-19 illness compared with other SARS-CoV-2 variants.
The consideration of the risk from the variant has been detailed in a peer review paper published according to new research published in Nature: “Increased mortality in community-tested cases of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7.”
The review was performed at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Here researchers examined in excess of two million COVID-19 community tests performed in England for the period November 2020 and February 2021.
The information was examined in relation to a data set of COVID-19 deaths. This enabled the researchers to calculate that the B.1.1.7 infection was associated with 55 percent higher mortality compared to all of other strains of SARS-CoV-2.
The major risk in terms of the findings, variants such as B.1.1.7 threaten to affect improvements in COVID-19 treatment in terms of social control and highlights the importance of the vaccination programs.
In related news, WHO has called for further studies concerning the review of data into the origin of SARS-CoV-2 virus. The health agency has reiterated that all hypotheses remain open as to where the virus came from and how the pandemic started.
