The mutated coronavirus strain spreading in Britain is on average 56 per cent more contagious than the original version, urging a fast vaccine rollout as it will likely lead to higher levels of hospitalizations and deaths next year.
The new study conducted by the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shows concerns regarding increase number of hospitalizations of younger generation by mutated coronavirus strain.
The UK government had previously said the mutated variant appears to be as much as 70% more transmissible than other circulating strains. Additionally, it has almost two dozen mutations that may affect proteins made by the coronavirus, Patrick Vallance, the UK's chief scientific adviser, said on December 19.
That has raised concern that tests, treatments and vaccines that just started rolling out might be less effective, though Europe's health regulator said the variant probably isn't different enough from earlier ones to elude Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE's shot.
