A new variant of the coronavirus discovered in the United Kingdom is now rolling in the United States, with variant B.1.1.7 most recently identified in New York in a man with no recent travel history.
The variant is said to be more transmissible than COVID-19, although it is not currently believed to be more virulent or resistant to vaccines and treatment. That said, a new study suggests who may be most at risk of hiring B.1.1.7: under-20s.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at Imperial College London and others and has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that children under 20 are more likely to account for a higher percentage. of cases of B.1.1.7, or what is identified in the study as a “Variant of Concern” or VOC.
The available data indicate “a change in the age composition of reported cases, with a higher proportion of under-20s among reported VOCs than non-VOC cases,” according to the study.
However, the researchers said it is too early to determine the “mechanism behind this change,” noting that it may have been influenced, in part, by “the variants spreading coinciding with a period in which the blockade was in force, but the schools were open. ”
“Research is continuing on the specific nature of any changes in the way the virus affects this age group,” a press release said on the results.
Unlike COVID-19, B.1.1.7 may be more likely to infect children, the study suggests, echoing concerns expressed by Professor Neil Ferguson, a scientist at Imperial College London and author of the study, in December.
At the time, Ferguson warned that early tests “suggest he is more likely to infect children.”
“If true, this could explain a significant proportion, perhaps even most, of the increase in transmission seen,” he added, according to the BBC.
The Imperial College London study also estimated that the reproduction number (R0) of the new variant would be between 1.4 and 1.8.
“These analyzes, which have informed the UK government’s planning in recent weeks, show that the new variant of concern, B.1.1.7, has a substantially higher transmissibility than the old circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses. in the UK, ”Ferguson said in a statement. “This will make control more difficult and further accentuate the urgency of deploying the vaccine as quickly as possible.”
“All viruses evolve and very rarely will a virus change in a way that requires a new assessment of public health policy,” added Dr Erik Volz, a scientist at Imperial College London and one of the authors of the study. ‘study, in a statement. “We find overwhelming evidence of a change in the transmissibility of variant B.1.1.7 that should be taken into account when planning our COVID-19 response in the new year.”
Kayla Rivas of Fox News contributed to this report.