Is the New Coronavirus Variant More Infectious?

According to the British Medical Journal on December 23, 2020, a review by Elisabeth Mahase of the current evidence by the UK’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), found that the rate of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus variant, known as B.1.1.7 or VUI 202012/01, was 71% (95% confidence interval 67% to 75%), which is higher than for other known variants.

And, the NERVTAG report on December 18, 2020, stated this variant is defined by 14 mutations resulting in amino acid changes and three deletions, some of which are believed to influence the virus’s transmissibility in humans and may also have a higher viral load.

'While previous variants have emerged without clear evidence of having a selective advantage, the NERVTAG report noted, the “emergence and subsequent dominance” of this new variant in a period of relatively high prevalence indicated that it does have a “selective advantage over other variants.”