British government scientists are increasingly finding the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> variant first detected in Britain to be linked to a higher risk of death than other versions of the virus, a devastating trend that highlights the serious risks and considerable uncertainties of this new phase of the pandemic.

The scientists said last month that there was a “realistic possibility” that the variant was not only more contagious than others, but also more lethal. Now, they say in a new document that it is “likely” that the variant is linked to an increased risk of hospitalization and death.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/common-cold-cant-be-termed-as-sign-of-coronavirus-aiims-363511" hreflang="en">Common cold can't be termed as sign of coronavirus: AIIMS</a>

The British government did not publicly announce the updated findings, which are based on roughly twice as many studies as its earlier assessment and include more deaths from COVID-19 cases caused by the new variant, known as B.1.1.7. It posted the document on a government website Friday.

The reasons for an elevated death rate are not entirely clear. Some evidence suggests that people infected with the variant may have higher viral loads, a feature that could not only make the virus more contagious but also potentially undermine the effectiveness of certain treatments.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/single-soda-can-big-enough-to-hold-every-covid-19-particle-in-world-british-mathematician-363260" hreflang="en">Single 'soda can' big enough to hold every Covid-19 particle in world: British mathematician</a>

But scientists are also trying to understand how much of the increased risk of death may stem from the propensity of the variant to spread very easily through settings like nursing homes, where people are already vulnerable.

No matter the explanation, scientific advisers to the British government said Saturday, the new findings laid bare the dangers of countries easing restrictions as the variant takes hold.

The variant has spread to at least 82 countries, and is being transmitted 35% to 45% more easily than other variants in the United States, scientists recently estimated. US&nbsp;officials have suggested that the variant could be the dominant source of infection there by March.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-kent-variant-will-sweep-the-world-says-top-genome-sequencing-expert-362820" hreflang="en">Coronavirus: Kent variant will 'sweep the world', says top genome sequencing expert</a>

“The overall picture is one of something like a 40% to 60% increase in hospitalization risk and risk of death,” Neil Ferguson, a public health researcher and scientific adviser to the British government, said in an interview Saturday. Referring to the tight restrictions on socializing that are in effect across Britain, he said, “It reinforces the policy measures in place.”

Most COVID-19 cases, even those caused by the new variant, are not fatal. And the government scientists were relying on studies that examined a small proportion of overall deaths.

The scientists also struggled to account for the presence of underlying illnesses in people infected with the new variant, and for whether the cases originated in nursing homes.

They were largely limited to studying people who had tested positive for the virus at community testing sites, rather than in hospitals. A quirk of hospital tests means that many cannot detect an altered gene that is often used as a proxy for the variant.

One of the studies that fed the new government findings also offered alarming, though very preliminary, signs that the elevated risk from the new variant held especially among Black and Asian Britons. That raised the notion that because the variant was more contagious, it could be hitting vulnerable populations harder.

Overall, the government scientists’ assessment that the variant was “likely” to be linked to a higher risk of death still only signaled 55% to 75% confidence in the finding.

“I think these results are possibly genuine, although there are still several limitations, and we need to understand what causes it,” said Muge Cevik, an infectious disease expert at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and a scientific adviser to the British government.

She added that “there are other explanations of this increased severity,” among them that the variant may “transmit disproportionately in settings with frailer people,” like nursing homes, because it is more transmissible.

The biggest danger of the new variant remains its propensity to spread: It is thought to be 30% to 50% more transmissible, although some scientists put the figure higher than that.

Since the first sample of the variant was collected in southeastern England in September, it has become the dominant source of infection in Britain. It accounts for more than 90% of cases in many parts of the country.

A stringent lockdown has recently driven down the number of new cases, but only after British hospitals became overwhelmed. An easing of the lockdown could trigger a sharp rise in cases caused by the variant.

Roughly 117,000 people have died from the coronavirus in Britain, half of them since the end of November as the variant spread.

“This has been quite catastrophic in terms of mortality,” said Ferguson, the public health researcher. “And that’s a result of both the increased transmissibility and the increased lethality.”

A recent study by the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine, one of those the government scientists relied on, offered rough estimates of the effect of the variant. It examined 3,382 deaths, 1,722 of them in people infected with the variant, and estimated that the risk of death was 58% higher among cases caused by the variant.

For men from 55 to 69 years old, for example, that raised the overall risk of death from to 0.9% from 0.6%. For women in that age group, it raised the overall risk of death to 0.3% from 0.2%.

“Calculating when we can lift restrictions has to be influenced by this,” Simon Clarke, an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said of the new report. “It provides extra evidence that this variant is more lethal than the one we dealt with last time.”

He added that the findings vindicated the British government’s decision to raise an alarm about the variant in December and then publish evidence last month that it was potentially more lethal. Some outside scientists initially dismissed the warnings.

“They didn’t hold the data back,” Clarke said. “They were very upfront about how uncertain things were.”

British government scientists are increasingly finding the coronavirus variant first detected in Britain to be linked to a higher risk of death than other versions of the virus, a devastating trend that highlights the serious risks and considerable uncertainties of this new phase of the pandemic.

British government scientists are increasingly finding the coronavirus variant first detected in Britain to be linked to a higher risk of death than other versions of the virus, a devastating trend that highlights the serious risks and considerable uncertainties of this new phase of the pandemic. The scientists said last month that there was a “realistic possibility” that the variant was not only more contagious than others, but also more lethal. Now, they say in a new document that it is “likely” that the variant is linked to an increased risk of hospitalization and death. Also read| Common cold can't be termed as sign of coronavirus: AIIMS The British government did not publicly announce the updated findings, which are based on roughly twice as many studies as its earlier assessment and include more deaths from COVID-19 cases caused by the new variant, known as B.1.1.7. It posted the document on a government website Friday. The reasons for an elevated death rate are not entirely clear. Some evidence suggests that people infected with the variant may have higher viral loads, a feature that could not only make the virus more contagious but also potentially undermine the effectiveness of certain treatments. Also read| Single 'soda can' big enough to hold every Covid-19 particle in world: British mathematician But scientists are also trying to understand how much of the increased risk of death may stem from the propensity of the variant to spread very easily through settings like nursing homes, where people are already vulnerable. No matter the explanation, scientific advisers to the British government said Saturday, the new findings laid bare the dangers of countries easing restrictions as the variant takes hold. The variant has spread to at least 82 countries, and is being transmitted 35% to 45% more easily than other variants in the United States, scientists recently estimated. US officials have suggested that the variant could be the dominant source of infection there by March. Also read| Coronavirus: Kent variant will 'sweep the world', says top genome sequencing expert “The overall picture is one of something like a 40% to 60% increase in hospitalization risk and risk of death,” Neil Ferguson, a public health researcher and scientific adviser to the British government, said in an interview Saturday. Referring to the tight restrictions on socializing that are in effect across Britain, he said, “It reinforces the policy measures in place.” Most COVID-19 cases, even those caused by the new variant, are not fatal. And the government scientists were relying on studies that examined a small proportion of overall deaths. The scientists also struggled to account for the presence of underlying illnesses in people infected with the new variant, and for whether the cases originated in nursing homes. They were largely limited to studying people who had tested positive for the virus at community testing sites, rather than in hospitals. A quirk of hospital tests means that many cannot detect an altered gene that is often used as a proxy for the variant. One of the studies that fed the new government findings also offered alarming, though very preliminary, signs that the elevated risk from the new variant held especially among Black and Asian Britons. That raised the notion that because the variant was more contagious, it could be hitting vulnerable populations harder. Overall, the government scientists’ assessment that the variant was “likely” to be linked to a higher risk of death still only signaled 55% to 75% confidence in the finding. “I think these results are possibly genuine, although there are still several limitations, and we need to understand what causes it,” said Muge Cevik, an infectious disease expert at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and a scientific adviser to the British government. She added that “there are other explanations of this increased severity,” among them that the variant may “transmit disproportionately in settings with frailer people,” like nursing homes, because it is more transmissible. The biggest danger of the new variant remains its propensity to spread: It is thought to be 30% to 50% more transmissible, although some scientists put the figure higher than that. Since the first sample of the variant was collected in southeastern England in September, it has become the dominant source of infection in Britain. It accounts for more than 90% of cases in many parts of the country. A stringent lockdown has recently driven down the number of new cases, but only after British hospitals became overwhelmed. An easing of the lockdown could trigger a sharp rise in cases caused by the variant. Roughly 117,000 people have died from the coronavirus in Britain, half of them since the end of November as the variant spread. “This has been quite catastrophic in terms of mortality,” said Ferguson, the public health researcher. “And that’s a result of both the increased transmissibility and the increased lethality.” A recent study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, one of those the government scientists relied on, offered rough estimates of the effect of the variant. It examined 3,382 deaths, 1,722 of them in people infected with the variant, and estimated that the risk of death was 58% higher among cases caused by the variant. For men from 55 to 69 years old, for example, that raised the overall risk of death from to 0.9% from 0.6%. For women in that age group, it raised the overall risk of death to 0.3% from 0.2%. “Calculating when we can lift restrictions has to be influenced by this,” Simon Clarke, an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said of the new report. “It provides extra evidence that this variant is more lethal than the one we dealt with last time.” He added that the findings vindicated the British government’s decision to raise an alarm about the variant in December and then publish evidence last month that it was potentially more lethal. Some outside scientists initially dismissed the warnings. “They didn’t hold the data back,” Clarke said. “They were very upfront about how uncertain things were.”

UK virus variant is probably deadlier, scientists say

Ireland was one of the countries which reported cases of the new variant of coronavirus — first identified in the UK. The neighbouring country of the UK had also reported three new cases of the other strain of the coronavirus from South Africa.

A state of panic had taken over the country after the new strains were reported. However, the health experts in Ireland have now assured the locals that the new strains have successfully been contained in the country.

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Cases of the new variant of South Africa&nbsp;had been reported in Ireland on Friday after three people had travelled to Ireland from South Africa during the Christmas holidays.

"The UK variant is of more concern to us purely because of the amount of virus that’s on the island, and we know that it’s transmitting in the community,"&nbsp;Cillian De Gascun, the head of Ireland’s national virus laboratory told the local media. "The good thing about the South African variant is we know exactly where those cases came from, they have been contained, controlled and contact traced, and to the best of my knowledge there was no onward transmission."

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/england-goes-into-lockdown-again-as-new-coronavirus-strain-cases-surge-354484">&nbsp;England goes into lockdown again as new coronavirus strain cases surge</a>

Ireland had observed a surge in coronavirus cases which exceeded last year's first wave. Since the identification of the new variant in the UK, Ireland has reported nearly 25 per cent positive cases which have then further been tested. This has increased from a previous nine per cent rate two weeks before January 03.

Since the identification of the new strains, Ireland has announced another strict lockdown urging people to stay indoors to make sure another "tsunami" of coronavirus cases does not pile up due to the new variants.

Ireland hospitals have also urged the government to increase funding as the Intensive Care Units (ICU) are struggling to meet the rising demands with a surge in coronavirus cases.

Ireland was one of the countries which reported cases of the new variant of coronavirus — first identified in the UK. The neighbouring country of the UK had also reported three new cases of the other strain of the coronavirus from South Africa.

Ireland was one of the countries which reported cases of the new variant of coronavirus — first identified in the UK. The neighbouring country of the UK had also reported three new cases of the other strain of the coronavirus from South Africa. A state of panic had taken over the country after the new strains were reported. However, the health experts in Ireland have now assured the locals that the new strains have successfully been contained in the country. Also read| Cancer doctor in US voids bills worth over $600,000 Cases of the new variant of South Africa had been reported in Ireland on Friday after three people had travelled to Ireland from South Africa during the Christmas holidays. "The UK variant is of more concern to us purely because of the amount of virus that’s on the island, and we know that it’s transmitting in the community," Cillian De Gascun, the head of Ireland’s national virus laboratory told the local media. "The good thing about the South African variant is we know exactly where those cases came from, they have been contained, controlled and contact traced, and to the best of my knowledge there was no onward transmission." Also read| England goes into lockdown again as new coronavirus strain cases surge Ireland had observed a surge in coronavirus cases which exceeded last year's first wave. Since the identification of the new variant in the UK, Ireland has reported nearly 25 per cent positive cases which have then further been tested. This has increased from a previous nine per cent rate two weeks before January 03. Since the identification of the new strains, Ireland has announced another strict lockdown urging people to stay indoors to make sure another "tsunami" of coronavirus cases does not pile up due to the new variants. Ireland hospitals have also urged the government to increase funding as the Intensive Care Units (ICU) are struggling to meet the rising demands with a surge in coronavirus cases.

New strain of coronavirus under control: Ireland health experts

Iran, on Tuesday, joined the list of countries that have identified cases of the new variant of coronavirus. The new variant is the one which was first reported by the British government.&nbsp;

"Sadly, the first instance of the mutated British COVID-19 was detected in one of our compatriots who had arrived from England,"&nbsp;Health Minister Saeed Namaki said in a televised address.

Alsoread|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/portuguese-nurse-dies-two-days-after-getting-the-pfizer-covid-vaccine-354526">Portuguese nurse dies two days after getting the Pfizer Covid vaccine</a>

The patient, who has not been named, was admitted to a private hospital where the medical team detected that the virus was of the mutated type. "Our extensive testing showed (the virus) was of the mutated type," Namaki said.

While the patient is being treated under expert supervision, no traces of the virus were found in&nbsp;their family and acquaintances. This has been possible only because the patient had self-isolated upon arrival in the country.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/portuguese-nurse-dies-two-days-after-getting-the-pfizer-covid-vaccine-354526">Portuguese nurse dies two days after getting the Pfizer Covid vaccine</a>

This report has come in at a time when the country had already been struggling to report the right figures of coronavirus cases as several officials, including Namaki, believe the actual figures would be higher than what is being reported. However, Namaki believes this is&nbsp;mostly due to testing protocols.

The new strain of the coronavirus has been reported to spread faster than the original variant., and has now spread in various other countries. many countries across the globe have also closed their international borders for all incoming passengers from the UK.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/japan-poised-for-state-of-emergency-as-covid-19-cases-soar-354446">WATCH|</a>

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Iran recorded&nbsp;6,113 new coronavirus cases and 98 new deaths on Tuesday. The record-low number has been attributed to the partial lockdown guidelines which are still in place, weeks after its announcement.

Iran, on Tuesday, joined the list of countries that have identified cases of the new variant of coronavirus. The new variant is the one which was first reported by the British government.

Iran, on Tuesday, joined the list of countries that have identified cases of the new variant of coronavirus. The new variant is the one which was first reported by the British government. "Sadly, the first instance of the mutated British COVID-19 was detected in one of our compatriots who had arrived from England," Health Minister Saeed Namaki said in a televised address. Alsoread| Portuguese nurse dies two days after getting the Pfizer Covid vaccine The patient, who has not been named, was admitted to a private hospital where the medical team detected that the virus was of the mutated type. "Our extensive testing showed (the virus) was of the mutated type," Namaki said. While the patient is being treated under expert supervision, no traces of the virus were found in their family and acquaintances. This has been possible only because the patient had self-isolated upon arrival in the country. Also read| Portuguese nurse dies two days after getting the Pfizer Covid vaccine This report has come in at a time when the country had already been struggling to report the right figures of coronavirus cases as several officials, including Namaki, believe the actual figures would be higher than what is being reported. However, Namaki believes this is mostly due to testing protocols. The new strain of the coronavirus has been reported to spread faster than the original variant., and has now spread in various other countries. many countries across the globe have also closed their international borders for all incoming passengers from the UK. WATCH| × Iran recorded 6,113 new coronavirus cases and 98 new deaths on Tuesday. The record-low number has been attributed to the partial lockdown guidelines which are still in place, weeks after its announcement.

Iran reports first case of new variant of Coronavirus

Amid rising coronavirus cases, the United Kingdom has decided to reactivate the&nbsp;emergency hospitals which were&nbsp;established at the start of the pandemic. The government has also decided to shut primary schools amid rise in new variant of the virus.

A day after entering the new year, the situation in the Uk stays as grim as the pandemic year. Considering the grave situation, the Boris Johnson-led government has decided to reinstate the emergency hospitals to stay prepared for the expected rush of cases in the next few days.

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The announcement came a few days after the popular&nbsp;Royal London Hospital informed its staff, through an email, that the hospital was now entering the "disaster medicine mode", meaning it will not be able to provide&nbsp;high standard critical care.

It was also announced that all primary schools in the capital city&nbsp;London will return to online teaching, and cease all offline classes, amid fears of rising infection rate of the new variant of coronavirus — which has been proved to be 70 per cent more infectious.

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"Children's education and wellbeing remains a national priority," said&nbsp;Education Secretary Gavin Williamson. "Moving further parts of London to remote education really is a last resort and a temporary solution."

The decision has come back as a shock as an opposing announcement was made on schools reopening a few days ago.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-pandemic-politics-put-drug-industrys-revenues-at-risk-353967">WATCH|</a>

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This announcement has been justified by the government by releasing the official number of infections and deaths caused by the new strain of coronavirus, which is more than 74,000 in total. On Friday, the UK recorded&nbsp;53,285 new coronavirus cases and 613 deaths.

"In anticipation of pressures rising from the spread of the new variant infection, the NHS London Region were asked to ensure the Nightingale was reactivated and ready to admit patients should it be needed,"&nbsp;National Health Service (NHS) spokesperson said.&nbsp;

The hospital authorities have also warned the government about shortage of nurses in the hospitals, especially the COVID wards.

Amid rising coronavirus cases, the United Kingdom has decided to reactivate the emergency hospitals which were established at the start of the pandemic. The government has also decided to shut primary schools amid rise in new variant of the virus.

Amid rising coronavirus cases, the United Kingdom has decided to reactivate the emergency hospitals which were established at the start of the pandemic. The government has also decided to shut primary schools amid rise in new variant of the virus. A day after entering the new year, the situation in the Uk stays as grim as the pandemic year. Considering the grave situation, the Boris Johnson-led government has decided to reinstate the emergency hospitals to stay prepared for the expected rush of cases in the next few days. Also read| 'I am French', says UK PM Boris Johnson's father as he seeks France citizenship The announcement came a few days after the popular Royal London Hospital informed its staff, through an email, that the hospital was now entering the "disaster medicine mode", meaning it will not be able to provide high standard critical care. It was also announced that all primary schools in the capital city London will return to online teaching, and cease all offline classes, amid fears of rising infection rate of the new variant of coronavirus — which has been proved to be 70 per cent more infectious. Also read| India to resume UK flights from January 8 "Children's education and wellbeing remains a national priority," said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson. "Moving further parts of London to remote education really is a last resort and a temporary solution." The decision has come back as a shock as an opposing announcement was made on schools reopening a few days ago. WATCH| × This announcement has been justified by the government by releasing the official number of infections and deaths caused by the new strain of coronavirus, which is more than 74,000 in total. On Friday, the UK recorded 53,285 new coronavirus cases and 613 deaths. "In anticipation of pressures rising from the spread of the new variant infection, the NHS London Region were asked to ensure the Nightingale was reactivated and ready to admit patients should it be needed," National Health Service (NHS) spokesperson said. The hospital authorities have also warned the government about shortage of nurses in the hospitals, especially the COVID wards.

UK reinstates all COVID-19 emergency hospitals amid fears of rising cases

After the UK's health minister Matt Hancock claimed the new variant of coronavirus found in South Africa is deadlier,&nbsp;Zwelini Mkhize, his South African counterpart has denied these claims.

"At present, there is no evidence that the 501.V2 (variant) is more transmissible than the United Kingdom variant — as suggested by the British Health Secretary," said South Africa's Mkhize in a statement.

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The statement has come after the UK imposed travel restrictions from all incoming passengers from South Africa, citing the new coronavirus variant as a reason.

Hancock had issued travel restrictions&nbsp;on Wednesday and had claimed the variant from South Africa was "highly concerning, because it is yet more transmissible, and it appears to have mutated further".&nbsp;

However,&nbsp;Mkhize has denied any such claims and said Hancock's statements "have created a perception that the variant in SA has been a major factor in the second wave in the UK", which he says is not true.

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"This is not correct," he said. "There is also no evidence that (it) causes more severe disease or increased mortality than the UK variant or any variant that has been sequenced around the world."

To further prove his point, he also pointed out that the new variant found in the UK appeared in Kent county near the month of September whereas the South African once developed around a month after that.

He also said "banning travel between UK and SA is an unfortunate decision" as "the risks of travel bans may outweigh the benefits".

As of now, a few other European countries, too, have restricted incoming passengers from South Africa, in addition to the UK passengers.

After the UK's health minister Matt Hancock claimed the new variant of coronavirus found in South Africa is deadlier, Zwelini Mkhize, his South African counterpart has denied these claims.

After the UK's health minister Matt Hancock claimed the new variant of coronavirus found in South Africa is deadlier, Zwelini Mkhize, his South African counterpart has denied these claims. "At present, there is no evidence that the 501.V2 (variant) is more transmissible than the United Kingdom variant — as suggested by the British Health Secretary," said South Africa's Mkhize in a statement. Also read| After UK, South Africa, another coronavirus variant emerges in Nigeria The statement has come after the UK imposed travel restrictions from all incoming passengers from South Africa, citing the new coronavirus variant as a reason. Hancock had issued travel restrictions on Wednesday and had claimed the variant from South Africa was "highly concerning, because it is yet more transmissible, and it appears to have mutated further". However, Mkhize has denied any such claims and said Hancock's statements "have created a perception that the variant in SA has been a major factor in the second wave in the UK", which he says is not true. Also read| Over 600,000 people in Britain get first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine jab "This is not correct," he said. "There is also no evidence that (it) causes more severe disease or increased mortality than the UK variant or any variant that has been sequenced around the world." To further prove his point, he also pointed out that the new variant found in the UK appeared in Kent county near the month of September whereas the South African once developed around a month after that. He also said "banning travel between UK and SA is an unfortunate decision" as "the risks of travel bans may outweigh the benefits". As of now, a few other European countries, too, have restricted incoming passengers from South Africa, in addition to the UK passengers.

'Not true': South Africa denies new variant is deadlier than UK's strain

Several European countries such as Belgium and Germany are imposing travel bans on all the incoming flights from the UK and South Africa to make sure the new variant does not get transmitted to their countries.

'Not out of control', says WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom over new 'Covid-19 variant'