The coronavirus variant first identified in the UK spreads more easily than older strains, but does not lead to more serious illness in hospital patients, a new study finds.
People infected with the variant, known as B.1.1.7, late last year had more virus in their bodies than patients infected with older strains, a sign that the newer variant is more contagious, the study published online Monday. has been published by the medical journal. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. But the patients hospitalized with B.1.1.7 did not die faster or generally had worse outcomes.
The findings add to scientists’ understanding of the impact of B.1.1.7, which has become especially important as the species has come to dominate cases in the UK, US and some other countries.
“If you have to be hospitalized, you are no worse with this variant compared to the previous virus strain,” said Eleni Nastouli, clinical virologist and pediatrician at University College London and senior author of the paper.
“Of course, if you need hospitalization for Covid, that’s a problem,” she added. “But it is no more than the previous kind.”