Coronavirus Outbreak

UK Variant Of Coronavirus Linked To Significantly Higher Death Rate Amongst Adults: Study

In the study, epidemiologists from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol in the UK, compared death rates among people infected with the new variant of Coronavirus and those infected with other strains

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Highlights
  • The UK strain of Coronavirus, B.1.1.7, spreads rapidly
  • New variant led to 227 deaths vs 141 attributable to earlier strains: Study
  • The analysis is based on COVID cases between November 2020 and January 2021

London: The highly infectious variant of the novel coronavirus which swept across the UK last year before spreading worldwide, could be 30 to 100 per cent deadlier than previous versions of the virus, according to a new study. The research, published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday (March 10), noted that this variant, B.1.1.7, is linked to a significantly higher mortality rate amongst adults diagnosed in the community compared to previously circulating strains. In the study, epidemiologists from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol in the UK, compared death rates among people infected with the new variant and those infected with other strains.

Also Read: COVID-19 Pandemic: Are New Coronavirus Variants More Contagious? WHO Expert Answers All FAQ About SARS-CoV-2 Mutations?

They found that the new variant led to 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 patients compared to 141 amongst the same number of closely matched patients who had the previous strains.

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, said Robert Challen, lead author of the study from the University of Exeter.

Also Read: Don’t Lower Guard, COVID-19 Pandemic Not Over Yet: Centre Over Rise In Active Cases

Since this variant was first detected in the UK in September 2020, it has been proven to be significantly quicker and easier to spread, with more people, who would have previously been considered low risk, hospitalised because of it. Assessing data from over 54,609 matched pairs of patients of all age-groups and demographics, and differing only in strain detected, the researchers found that there were 227 deaths attributed to the new strain, compared to 141 attributable to earlier strains.

We focussed our analysis on cases that occurred between November 2020 and January 2021, when both the old variants and the new variant were present in the UK, said Leon Danon, senior author of the study from the University of Bristol.

Also Read: Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 Vaccine Shows High Immune Response, Further Study Needed For Elderly

“This meant we were able to maximise the number of “matches” and reduce the impact of other biases. Subsequent analyses have confirmed our results,” Leon Danon explained.

Due to the ability of the coronavirus to mutate, he believes there is a real concern that new variants may arise with resistance to rapidly rolled out vaccines.

Monitoring for new variants as they arise, measuring their characteristics and acting appropriately needs to be a key part of the public health response in the future, Leon Danon added.

Also Read: Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine Can Protect Against Brazil Variant: Study

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (WaterSanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollutionwaste managementplastic banmanual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene

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