3/8—UK variant higher R (43–90%), hospitalisations (64%), and mortality (61%)
Estimated transmissibility and impact of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 in England
Using a variety of statistical and dynamic modelling approaches, we estimate that this variant has a 43–90% (range of 95% credible intervals 38–130%) higher reproduction number than preexisting variants. Without stringent control measures […], COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths across England in 2021 will exceed those in 2020. Concerningly, VOC 202012/01 has spread globally and exhibits a similar transmission increase (59–74%) in Denmark, Switzerland, and the United States.
Increased Risk of Hospitalisation Associated with Infection with SARS-CoV-2 Lineage B.1.1.7 in Denmark
[Preprint.] In an observational cohort study we included all SARS-CoV-2 RT PCR test-positive individuals in Denmark sampled between the 1st January and until the 9th February, 2021. The proportion of individuals with B.1.1.7 increased from 4% in early January to 45% in early February. Among the individuals with viral genome data, B.1.1.7 was associated with […] an adjusted OR of 1.64 (95%CI, 1.32-2.04) based on 128 admissions after B.1.1.7 infection and 1,107 admissions after infection with other lineages.
Increased mortality in community-tested cases of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7
[Preprint.] We analyse a dataset linking 2,245,263 positive SARS-CoV-2 community tests and 17,452 COVID-19 deaths in England from 1 September 2020 to 14 February 2021. We estimate that the hazard of death associated with SGTF is 55% (95% CI 39–72%) higher after adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation, care home residence, local authority of residence and test date. Correcting for misclassification of SGTF and missingness in S gene target failure status, we estimate a 61% (42–82%) higher hazard of death associated with B.1.1.7. Our analysis suggests that B.1.1.7 is not only more transmissible than preexisting SARS-CoV-2 variants, but may also cause more severe illness.
Emergence of a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 virus variant with novel genomic architecture in Hong Kong
We report the discovery of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with a novel genomic architecture characterized by absent ORF7a, ORF7b and ORF8, and a C-terminally modified ORF6 product resulting from partial 5’-UTR duplication and transposition.
Novel Mutation of SARS-CoV-2, Vietnam, July 2020
A cluster of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections in Danang, Vietnam, began July 25, 2020, and resulted in 551 confirmed cases and 35 deaths as of February 2021. We analyzed 26 sequences from this cluster and identified a novel shared mutation in nonstructural protein 9, suggesting a single introduction into Vietnam.