Studies show that the coronavirus variant first discovered in the UK is “likely” more deadly than the original species, UK government scientists said in a review released Friday.
Why it matters: The more contagious variant B.1.1.7 has been discovered in 82 countries, including the United States, according to the New York Times.
- According to a study published this week by MedRxiv, the number of cases of the new variant in the US could almost double every 10 days and could be the dominant version of the virus in the country by March.
Details: In the new review, the British scientists estimate that the variant could be 30% to 70% more deadly than the original species.
- But they added that they would need more data on deaths in more comprehensive studies before they could definitively conclude that the variant is more deadly.
- The new development comes about two months after the UK government warned that the B.1.1.7 variant is more transmissible than other forms of the virus.
The big picture: Moderna and Pfizer have both found their vaccines to be effective against the UK variant and another variant first discovered in South Africa.
Go deeper: New coronavirus variants could lead to a longer, more deadly pandemic