The new variant of SARS-CoV-2, which is believed to have originated in the UK, is growing rapidly and affecting a larger proportion of people under 20, according to a study. A collaborative team of researchers from Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh, Public Health England, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Birmingham and the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium discussed the link between transmission and the frequency of the new variant. a period of time.
“There is consensus among all analyzes that the VOC (the Variant of Concern or new variant) has a significant transfer advantage,” the study said.
According to the study, the reproduction number for the new variant is currently between 1.4 and 1.8. It said that 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 expected to be infected by a single individual in a homogeneous population.
Also read | California announces first confirmed case of new Covid-19 variant
The study also found that individuals younger than 20 years make a higher percentage of cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) disease infected with the new variant. However, the researchers said it was too early to determine the mechanism behind this change. They suggested it may be partly because the closure was in place in some places, but schools were open.
“These analyzes, which have informed the UK Government’s planning in recent weeks, show that the new worrying variant, B.1.1.7, has significantly higher transmissibility than previous SARS-CoV-2 viruses that have spread across the UK. , “Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London said in a statement.
Dr Erik Volz, a co-author of the study, said that a virus will very rarely change in a way that requires us to evaluate public health policy. Volz added that there is overwhelming evidence of a change in the transferability of the new variant to be taken into account when planning the Covid-19 response in the new year.