UK Study Finds New Covid-19 Variant May Be More Deadly - NERVTAG update February 11, 2021

[Treyfish]

UK Study Finds New Covid-19 Variant May Be More Deadly

The new report is based on analysis of a dozen studies that found the so-called Kent variant, named after the county where it was first identified, is likely 30 per cent to 70 per cent more deadly than other variants.

• ASSOCIATED PRESS
• LONDON
• LAST UPDATED:FEBRUARY 14, 2021, 23:22 IST

UK government scientific advisers say the COVID-19 variant now predominant in the country may be up to 70 per cent more deadly than previous variants, underscoring concerns about how mutations may change the characteristics of the disease. The findings from the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, published Friday on the government's website, build on preliminary research released January 21. The group includes experts from universities and public agencies across the UK.

The new report is based on analysis of a dozen studies that found the so-called Kent variant, named after the county where it was first identified, is likely 30 per cent to 70 per cent more deadly than other variants. The studies compared hospitalisation and death rates among people infected with the variant and those infected with other variants. The results of the analysis are worrisome...https://www.news18.com/news/world/uk...y-3434015.html

[Treyfish]

UK Covid-19 variant 30-70% more deadly than original strain, British scientists warn


1:02PM • SOURCE: 1 NEWS

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The highly contagious UK Covid-19 variant is between 30 to 70 per cent more deadly than the original strain of the virus, British scientists are warning..
Infected people have a higher viral load, or more of the virus in their body, meaning more severe Covid-19 symptoms...https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/worl...cientists-warn

[sharon sanders]

This is the link to the paper:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/961042/S1095_NERVTAG_update_note_on_B.1.1.7_severity_20210211.pdf

[Treyfish]

U.K. coronavirus variant ‘likely’ carries higher risk for death and hospitalization
5:50 PM; Today 5:50 PMPeople walk past a boarded up nightclub near Leicester Square in central London, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) AP


By Joseph Ostapiuk | jostapiuk@siadvance.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) first discovered in the United Kingdom is “likely” associated with a higher risk for hospitalization and death, British government scientists said Friday, a concerning development in the latest stage of a pandemic that has caused well-over two million deaths.

The latest findings by the British government were bolstered by additional studies compared to its earlier assessment of the variant and include more deaths caused by the mutated form of the virus, according to a document posted on a government website.

“The overall picture is one of something like a 40 to 60 % increase in hospitalization risk, and risk of death,” Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist and scientific adviser to the British government, told the New York Times.

Despite that increased risk, the British scientists said, “the absolute risk of death per infection remains low.”

The mutation — known as B.1.1.7 — is ...
Scientists believe the U.K. strain is about 35% to 45% more transmissible than the initial form of the virus that launched the pan
https://www.silive.com/coronavirus/2...alization.html

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[Treyfish]

NIH experts discuss SARS-CoV-2 viral variants

Editorial emphasizes need for global response


15-Feb-2021 12:10 PM EST, by NIH, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

WHAT:

The rise of several significant variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has attracted the attention of health and science experts worldwide. In an editorial published in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, experts from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, outline how these variants have arisen, concerns about whether vaccines currently authorized for use will continue to protect against new variants, and the need for a global approach to fighting SARS-CoV-2 as it spreads and acquires additional mutations.

The article was written by NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.; John R. Mascola, M.D., director of NIAID's Vaccine Research Center (VRC); and Barney S. Graham, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director of NIAID's VRC.

The authors note that the overlapping discovery of several SARS-CoV-2 variants has led to confusing terms used to name them. The appearance of SARS-CoV-2 variants is so recent that the World Health Organization and other groups are still developing appropriate nomenclature for the different variants.

Numerous SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged over the last several months. The authors note that the variants known as B.1.1.7 (first identified in the United Kingdom) and B.1.351 (first identified in South Africa) concern scientists because of emerging data suggesting their increased transmissibility.

Variants can carry several different mutations, but changes in the spike protein of the virus, used to enter cells and infect them, are especially concerning. Changes to this protein may cause a vaccine to be less effective against a particular variant. The authors note that the B.1.351 variant may be partially or fully resistant to certain SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies currently authorized for use as therapeutics in the United States.

The recognition of all new variants, including a novel emergent strain (20C/S:452R) in California, requires systematic evaluation, according to the authors. The rise of these variants is a reminder that as long as SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, it has the potential to evolve into new variants, the authors stress. Therefore, the fight against SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 will require robust surveillance, tracking, and vaccine deployment worldwide.

The authors also note the need for a pan-coronavirus vaccine. Once researchers know more about how the virus changes as it spreads, it may be possible to develop a vaccine that protects against most or all variants. While similar research programs are already in place for other diseases, such as influenza, the changing nature of SARS-CoV-2 indicates that they will be necessary for this virus.

ARTICLE:

JR Mascola et al. SARS-COV-2 Viral variants--Tackling a moving target. JAMA DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.2088 (2021).

WHO:

NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., John R. Mascola, M.D., director of NIAID's Vaccine Research Center (VRC); and Barney S. Graham, MD, PhD, Deputy Director of NIAID's VRC, are available for comment.



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NIAID conducts and supports research--at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide--to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):

NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov/.
https://www.newswise.com/coronavirus...icle_id=746156

[Treyfish]

....NERVTAG’s report was based on a dozen studies that found the so-called Kent variant, named after the county where it was first identified, is likely 30 percent to 70 percent more deadly than other versions of the novel coronavirus in circulation.

Those studies compared hospitalisation and death rates among people infected with the B.1.1.7 variant and those infected with other strains.

NERVTAG includes experts from universities and public agencies across the UK.

The results of the group’s analysis are worrisome, said David Strain, a clinical senior lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School and the clinical lead for COVID-19 at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.

“The higher transmissibility means that people who were previously at low risk of catching COVID (particularly younger fitter females) are now catching it and ending up in hospital,″ Strain said.

“This is highlighted by the latest figures for hospitalisation that now suggest almost 50:50 male-to-female ratio compared to this being predominantly in men during the first wave.″

....
B.1.1.7 fans outwards


Experts have previously said the B.1.1.7 strain could be between 30 and 70 percent more infectious than other variants.

After first being detected in September, it quickly became the dominant variant in the UK.

It is thought to have been the spark for a rapid rise in the country’s COVID-19 caseload in recent months, sending the death toll spiralling and forcing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to enforce a third national lockdown on January 4.

The variant has also spread to other parts of the world, and quickly.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 83 countries have reported cases of the strain. It has been detected on every continent on Earth except for Antarctica....https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/...70-more-deadly