The more contagious British coronavirus variant is also more deadly than the original virus variant, according to a study published Wednesday in the British medical journal BMJ. Researchers maintain a wide margin of uncertainty, but say that people who become infected with the virus mutation are 30 to 104 percent more likely to die from the effects of the virus than people who come into contact with another variant of coronavirus.
Scientists examined the disease course of nearly 110,000 COVID-19 patients, half of whom had become infected with the British variant and the other half carried another variant. Of the group of people who became infected with the British coronavirus variant, 227 people died, compared to 141 in the other group of patients.
The patients described in the study were tested in a test street. These are generally relatively young people, as older people are more often referred directly to hospital. It is therefore unclear whether the higher mortality rate therefore also applies to the elderly or people in a nursing home.
Researchers also emphasize that the risk of dying after infection remains relatively small.
Scientists want ‘threat to be taken seriously’
One of the lead researchers, Robert Challen of the University of Exeter, says the study is evidence that the UK coronavirus variant “is a threat that must be taken seriously”. It was previously determined that the virus can be 40 to 70 percent more contagious than other coronavirus variants, writes the news agency Reuters.
The claim that the British virus variant would be more deadly than other mutations was among the first made by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the end of January. He was initially called back by experts and the British Health Secretary, Matt Hancock. Since then, several studies have been published that substantiate the decision with data.
The virus mutation has been diagnosed in more than 100 countries since January. In the Netherlands, the British variant has prevailed. The RIVM reported on Tuesday when the weekly figures were published that about two-thirds of all infections are now caused by the British variant, de Volkskrant writes Wednesday, however, that it is now estimated that the share has increased to eight out of ten infections.
Partly because the British corona virus variant is advancing, experts from the RIVM expect another peak in the current corona wave. This is expected in mid-April. The reproduction number (R) of the British coronavirus variant is currently above 1, which means that the variant continues to spread.
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