UK COVID-19 has a much higher mortality rate according to a study

The variant of B.1.1.7 was first discovered in Britain in September 2020 and has since been discovered in more than a hundred other countries

The highly contagious COVID-19 variant that has spread worldwide since its first discovery in Britain late last year is between 30% and 100% more dangerous than the previous virus, researchers said on Wednesday. In a study comparing the mortality rates of British people infected with a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 known as B.1.1.7 in those infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, scientists said the death rate for this new species was "very high". The B.1.1.7 variant was first discovered in Britain in September 2020 and has since been discovered in more than a hundred other countries. It has 23 genetic mutations in its genetic code - the highest number and some of them have made it much easier to spread. Scientists say it is about 40% -70% more transferable than the previous major varieties that were around.

In a UK study, published in the BMJ on Wednesday, new infections resulted in 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 COVID-19 patients, compared to 141 among the same number of patients who were related to age, gender, social background., date of infection, etc., but are infected with another different variant. The Hazard rate for mortality with a variant of B.1.1.7 was 1.64, compared to previously distributed versions of the virus. "Consistent with its ability to spread rapidly, this makes B.1.1.7 a threat that should be taken seriously," said Robert Challen, an Exeter University researcher who led the study.

Independent experts say the findings of this study add to the earlier evidence that linking HIV infection with B.1.1.7 virus with an increased risk of death due to COVID-19. The first findings from this study were presented to the UK government earlier this year, along with other studies, by experts New and Emerging Virus Threats Advisory Group, or NERVTAG, panel. Lawrence Young, a virologist and professor of molecular oncology at Warwick University, said the exact mechanisms for increasing the mortality rate of B.1.1.7 were not yet clear, but "may be related to higher rates of viral replication and increased transmission".