The British SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern, B.I.1.7, Reveals Its Lethality

摘要

Several emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) appear to have heightened infectivity and ability to evade natural or vaccine-derived immunity. Among the most prevalent of these is the B.I.1.7 VOC, first isolated in England in October 2020. This variant has spread to Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere, often superseding the wild-type virus. While B.1.1.7's increased infectivity soon became evident, whether this VOC also causes more-severe disease has been less clear. Two recent publications elucidate this issue.