![A mobile Corona 19 testing center is in operation on the 2nd (local time) in London, UK, where the mutant virus has spread. Recently, British health officials published a study showing that the British variant has a higher fatality rate than the conventional virus. [EPA=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202102/14/3f1be691-2e6a-4217-8421-1e7565d59ca8.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
A mobile Corona 19 testing center is in operation on the 2nd (local time) in London, UK, where the mutant virus has spread. Recently, UK health officials have published a study showing that the UK variant has a higher fatality rate than the existing virus. [EPA=연합뉴스]
A study found that the mutation of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) originating in the UK has a fatality rate of up to 70% higher than that of the existing virus.
British health officials made the announcement on the 12th (local time) by revealing the results of an investigation into the mortality and hospitalization rates of mutant virus patients. Earlier on the 22nd of last month, the British government made the first observation that the stool virus fatality rate is higher than that of the existing virus, and the results of a follow-up study on this were disclosed.
Mutation, fatality rate and hospitalization rate higher than before
Distinct differences in age groups over 55
As a result of an analysis based on data from research institutes such as the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Exeter, and the English Department of Public Health, the UK New Respiratory Virus Threat Advisory Group (NERVTAG), The mutant virus has been shown to increase mortality and hospitalization rates from about 30% to up to 70%.. However, the cause of the high mortality rate and hospitalization rate of the mutation has not been identified.
According to this, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine surveyed about 1 million people who were tested for Corona 19 from November last year to January this year. As a result, about 3,400 people died of Corona 19, and it was estimated that the probability of the mutant infected person dying within 28 days of confirmation is about 58% higher than the existing virus infection. In particular, NERVTAG reported that the difference in fatality rates was remarkable among the age group over 55.
Neil Ferguson, an infectious disease scientist and UK government adviser, told The New York Times that “overall mutations have been shown to increase the risk of hospitalization and death by 40% to 60% (compared to the existing virus).” He pointed out that half of the cumulative deaths of Corona 19 in the UK occurred after November, when the mutation began to spread.
However, Moog Civic, an infectious disease expert, a scientific advisor to the UK government, said, “This result has many limits.” Pointed out.
On the other hand, Pfizer, Modena, and AstraZeneca have each revealed that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by their company has similar preventive effects to the existing virus even in mutations from the UK.
Reporter Seok Kyung-min [email protected]