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A new study confirms the British government’s fears about the contagion potential of this variant of the coronavirus.
A new study confirms the British government’s fears about the contagion potential of this variant of the coronavirus.
The new variant of coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom, called B.1.1.7, is considered much more contagious than the previous one, confirms a new study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine published on Thursday (24).
“On the basis of the preliminary data available,” the study concludes that the Sars-Cov-2 variant, which is suspected to be the cause of the sharp increase in the number of cases in south-east England in recent weeks, “could be 50% to 74% more transmissible “than the forms of the virus in circulation so far, sums up one of the authors, Nick Davies, a biologist at the London School.
This estimate, which has not yet been published in a scientific journal or analyzed by independent experts, is consistent with that of “50% to 70%” presented this Monday at a press conference by researchers from the group that advises the British government on viruses. . emerging respiratory diseases, NERVTAG.
Twenty-two mutations in the genome
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, had already mentioned a contagion of more than 70% last weekend, and the British authorities transmitted to the World Health Organization (WHO) the estimate of a transmission that exceeded 40 % to 70%, according to preliminary data obtained by sequencing the genome of the virus collected in London and in the southeast of the country.
First detected in September in Great Britain, this variant also known as VOC 202012/01 has 22 mutations in its genome. One in particular, called N501Y, is found in the spike protein of the coronavirus, an important point on its surface that allows it to adhere to human cells to penetrate them, thus playing a key role in viral infection.
A quarter of new infections detected in the UK in November were associated with this variant, a number that rose to more than 60% in early December. “If the current trend continues, the new variant could account for 90% of cases by mid-January,” according to Nick Davies.
LSHTM researchers do not yet have evidence that people who contract the new variant are at increased risk of hospitalization or death, the hypothesis has yet to be studied.
Experts believe that the likely “sharp increase” in the number of cases caused by this mutation could have important consequences for the outcome of the epidemic.
“The recent increase in the number of infections” in various regions “may continue and spread to all parts of the UK if there is no immediate action,” they warn.
This week, different scientists called on the British government to enact a national shutdown to prevent the pandemic from spreading.
(With information from AFP)
