Scientists have named the new British strain of coronavirus more dangerous than the original form of the pathogen, and 30-70 percent more deadly. This is reported by Science Alert.
It has already been confirmed that the virus is 35-45 percent easier to transmit from person to person. It is found in at least 82 countries, and in the United States, the number of infections with the new B.1.1.7 strain is doubling every ten days. It is estimated that by March 2021, the strain will become dominant in many states in the United States, leading to a spike in incidence unless action is taken to contain the spread of the disease.
One of the possible reasons for the increased risk of death is that people who become infected with this virus may have a higher viral load, that is, more virus in the body, which is associated with a more serious course of COVID-19.
Scientists have previously identified the reason why B.1.1.7 is more infectious than its predecessors. It turned out that the mutant variant of the spike protein has an increased affinity for binding to the hACE-2 receptor, which facilitates the infection of human cells.