A patient is taken to an ambulance outside the Royal London Hospital in London during England’s third national lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Photo date: Wednesday February 17, 2021.
Ian West | PA images | Getty images
The highly contagious variant of coronavirus first identified in the UK is associated with a 64% higher risk of dying from Covid-19 than previous strains, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol analyzed data from more than 100,000 patients in the UK between October 1 and January 28. They compared mortality rates among people infected with B.1.1.7, the variant first found in the UK, and those infected with other previously circulating strains.
The researchers, who published their findings on Wednesday, said people infected with B.1.1.7 were between 32% and 104% more likely to die. That translates to a central estimate of 64%, they said, adding that the “absolute risk of death in this largely unvaccinated population remains low.”
“In the community, death from COVID-19 is still a rare occurrence, but the B.1.1.7 variant increases the risk. Coupled with its ability to spread quickly, this makes B.1.1.7 a threat to be taken seriously, “Robert Challen, the lead author of the study at Exeter, said in a press release.
The researchers said that B.1.1.7 resulted in 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 patients. That compares to 141 deaths in about the same number of patients infected with other strains.
They said that with the variant already discovered in more than 50 countries around the world, “the analysis provides crucial information for governments and health officials to help prevent its spread.”
The UK identified B.1.1.7, which appears to be spreading more easily and faster than other species, in the fall of 2020. It has since spread to other parts of the world, including the US, which has identified 3,283 cases as of Tuesday , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. US health officials say they are working to identify more cases.
The new study comes about two months after a CDC study warned that B.1.1.7 could become the dominant species in the United States. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told JAMA on Feb. 17 that the B.1.1.7 variant is thought to be about 50% more transmissible and that early data suggests it could be up to 50% more virulent or deadly.
New variants are of particular concern to public health officials as they may become more resistant to antibody treatments and vaccines. Top health officials, including White House Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Fauci, are urging Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible, saying the virus cannot mutate if it cannot infect and replicate hosts.