The UK variant of the coronavirus may be not only more transmissible than previous strains, it may also be more deadly, researchers say.
According to a new study published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal, the strain of the COVID virus first identified in Britain last September is both significantly more transmissible than previous variants and likely significantly more likely to be fatal.
The study found that the UK variant is between 40% and 70% more transmissible than the earlier variants.
While it was previously acknowledged that the UK variant spreads more easily than other strains, the study also estimates that this variant is between 30% and 100% deadlier.
The UK variant has 23 mutations, researchers say.
This strain killed 227 people out of a sample of 54,906 COVID patients, compared to 141 deaths in a similar size sample group from other strains.