Boris Johnson says the British coronavirus variant could be more deadly

Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say it could also become prevalent in the United States Within two months.

At a press conference at 10 Downing Street, Johnson and his advisers gave the first indication that the tension could also be more deadly.

England’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, provided an example. He said that of 1,000 men in England aged 60 or over, the original virus would kill 10. He said the new variant would kill 13 or 14 years, and that would represent a 30 percent rise in the death rate, although it was important to note that The risk of absolute death is still very low.

Since the new variable was discovered in Britain last year, public health officials have stressed that the new boom does not appear to make people sicker or increase deaths – and thus this small but measurable rise in the death rate is worrisome.

Valance did not explain why the alternative might be more lethal.

Valance called the new preliminary data.

He said, “I want to emphasize that there is a lot of uncertainty around these numbers, and we need more work to get an accurate handling of them.” “But it is clearly a concern that this is leading to an increase in mortality as well as an increase in transmissibility.”

The Prime Minister and his scientific advisor reiterated the assertions that the evidence so far shows that the current vaccines are still effective against the original virus and the new variants.

Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told science reporters, “As bleak as it sounds, whether it’s a 1 percent fatality rate or 1.3 percent doesn’t really change the fact that for a minority of people this is very difficult. A dangerous virus is better.” avoid it “.

Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine and an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, described the evidence of the slight increase in the death rate as “really disappointing”, but said it would not change the way Britain is fighting the epidemic through a combination of lockdowns and mass vaccinations.

The Corona VirusLike all viruses, they reproduce and change all the time – with errors and mutations in their genetic material.

Most of these mutations are not important, but some may cause the virus to become more or less contagious, or make people more or less sick.

In addition to the so-called “UK variant, “The new mutations discovered in South Africa and Brazil are being closely monitored, as changes in their genetic makeup may help them evade the antibodies produced to fight the original virus.

“They have certain features which means they may be less vulnerable to vaccines,” said Valance.