Study Shows UK Coronavirus Strain Affects People Below 20 the Most

By
Zhi Hao
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The Covid-19 may represent a particular risk to the elderly, vulnerable and sickly, but it appears that the UK Coronavirus strain has turned that notion on its head…

And mutated to such a degree that the young has become the primary target.

Indeed, it’s a scary sign of the things that may come to pass, and a sure sign that we cannot afford to be lax even in the new year.

Study Shows UK Coronavirus Strain Affects People Below 20 the Most

According to a report from Imperial College London and other science groups, Britain’s vein of the Coronavirus is supposedly more transmissible than the original strain, and seems to affect a larger proportion of people under 20.

Apart from “a substantial transmission advantage”, the mutation is also connected to “epidemic growth in nearly all areas.”

Apparently, the mutated form can increase the virus’ reproduction rate by as much as 0.7.

“This will make control more difficult and further accentuates the urgency of rolling out vaccination as quickly as possible,” said Neil Ferguson, a professor at Imperial.

Inadequate

As survivors of the original Coronavirus strain would attest to, social distancing measures have proven vital in our fight against the infectious disease.

It’s also the reason why Singapore has managed to attain few local community cases of late, despite literal human tsunamis over at Orchard Road.

And yet, it appears that our defenses may soon be set to crumble.

According to the study, social distancing measures are deemed to be inadequate to restrict the spread of the new variant.

This is due to its potent transmissible rate – which is estimated to be more transmissible than other veins by as much as 70 per cent.

Considering how infectious the original vein alone has proven to be, it’s safe to say that the UK strain is one we’re truly unprepared for.

However

Though the new variant appears to predominantly affect the young, it’s possible that the statistic arose because of the timing of the study.

According to scientists, the research was conducted at a time when lockdowns were prevalent, but schools remained open, so more youngsters were infected as the older folks were at home.

Mutation

The coronavirus has undergone numerous mutations since it first emerged in Wuhan, China, but only a few have been singled out because these mutations changed their behaviour.

The D614G mutation, for example, emerged in Europe in February and gradually took over as the globally dominant virus strain.

Another strain, called A222V, was also found to have spread across Europe after it likely emerged from people’s summer holidays in Spain.

According to the BBC, the UK strain is alarming the authorities for three main reasons:

  • this variant is unusually highly mutated, and these mutations affect part of the virus likely to be important
  • some of these mutations have been shown in the lab to increase its infectiousness
  • it’s quickly replacing other versions of the virus

Apparently, the new vein has a total of 17 mutations.

One of the alterations is to the spike protein, which is what viruses use to enter our body’s cells.

The other mutation – an H69/V70 deletion, where a small part of the spike is removed, could render antibodies less effective at combating the virus.

Although the UK strain may be more infectious, there’s no evidence this new coronavirus strain is more deadly.

However, the worry is that the increase in transmission would eventually overwhelm hospitals, leading to a shortage of staff, beds, and most importantly, ventilators.

That would certainly prove disastrous in the long run as well.

Featured Image: Corona Borealis Studio / Shutterstock.com

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Zhi Hao
Email: [email protected]