A new study has confirmed the hypothesis that the rapid spread of the mutated corona is due to higher quantities of the virus in respiratory samples, according to a newspaper published.The Guardian” British.
The mutated corona, called B117, was discovered during an investigation into the cause of the spike in cases in Kent County during the lockdown last November. Scientists found that it continued to spread during the restrictions while the ancient species declined.
And some laboratories that were set up last April to enhance the capabilities of corona testing in places such as London and Manchester began to see evidence of mutated Corona in respiratory samples when warning about the danger of B117 and the speed of its transmission.
Dr. Michael Kidd from the Public Health Laboratory in Birmingham and his team analyzed 641 samples, and it was found that 35% of those infected with it had high levels of the virus in their samples, compared to 10% of the patients who did not have the mutated virus, as they said in their study that was not reviewed. distance.
Kidd said: “It seems that patients with this mutant have higher viral loads, and the clear thing is that it is easy for them to spread it to other people,” explaining that the data is preliminary and that more evidence needs to be gathered before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Scientists say they have high confidence that B117 has a transmission advantage, and a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimated that it is about 56% more transmissible than the previous species.
There are several factors that explain why it is transmissible and why it is more contagious, and the virus may multiply faster in the air or make people contagious for a longer period, which leads to transmission of the virus.
“Exactly how the mutated virus reaches a high viral load is another big question, and we need laboratory confirmation to understand the biological basis of transmission advantage,” Kidd said.
He added, “We need other evidence and I think that the importance of this study, although it is preliminary, is that it provides some kind of explanation for why this virus is able to spread more easily and why people are more contagious.”
The data indicates that the mutated virus in the United Kingdom does not make people sicker or increase the likelihood of re-infection or death, but a high rate of transmission without controls could lead to more deaths.
–
–
