A new study found that the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK spreads more easily than older strains, but does not lead to more serious disease among hospitalized patients.
People infected with the variant, known as B.1.1.7 at the end of last year, had more viruses in their bodies than patients infected with older strains, a sign that the new version is more infectious, according to the study published online Monday by the medical journal. Lancet infectious diseases. But hospitalized patients with B.1.1.7 did not die at higher rates nor did they have worse outcomes overall.
The findings add to scientists’ understanding of the impact of B.1.1.7, which has acquired special importance now that the strain has dominated cases in the United Kingdom, the United States and some other countries.
“If you need hospitalization, you are no worse off with this variant compared to the previous strain of the virus,” said Eleni Nastouli, a clinical virologist and pediatrician at University College London and lead author of the paper.
“Of course, if you need hospital admission for Covid, that’s a concern,” he added. “But it’s just the previous strain.”