The new strain of coronavirus that has been reported in the United Kingdom (UK) is more contagious and it is likely to cause more hospitalisations and deaths next year, says a new study. The study does not show clear evidence of whether the new variant results in more or less severe disease. The reproduction number refers to the estimated number of new infections that stem from a single cause. The UK government earlier said that the new variant of coronavirus appeared to be 70 per cent more transmissible than the other identified strains of the virus. As for the vaccines, the study suggested that the vaccination may need to be sped up to control the spread of the new strain of coronavirus.

Source: dna December 24, 2020 17:38 UTC