Data Hint B.1.1.7 Could Be More Deadly Than Thought

In addition to being more transmissible, the variant now dominant in the UK may be about 30 percent more deadly than previous strains, but much uncertainty remains.

Written byShawna Williams

| 2 min read

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Update (March 10): One of the studies included in the NERVTAG report has been published in The BMJ today with expanded data. The researchers compared more than 100,000 people who tested positive for either B.1.1.7 or other SARS-CoV-2 variants, and found that B.1.1.7 was associated with a 32–104 percent increased risk of death within 28 days.

The B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was first found in September and is now dominant in the UK and present in many other countries, is thought to be more easily transmitted than other variants are. It might also be more deadly. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at a news conference on Friday (January 22) that new data indicate B.1.1.7 may be 30 percent more fatal.

The evidence comes from two analyses reviewed by a government committee called the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats, or NERVTAG. Patrick Vallance, ...

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previously, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in the communications offices of several academic research institutions. As news director, Shawna assigned and edited news, opinion, and in-depth feature articles for the website on all aspects of the life sciences. She is based in central Washington State, and is a member of the Northwest Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
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