UK doctors have advice for U.S. on fighting mutant variant

LONDON — Health experts have warned that even with restrictions the U.S. is likely to struggle to curb the spread of a highly-infectious coronavirus variant, underlining the importance of taking aggressive measures immediately to protect as many people as possible.

The variant, first discovered in the U.K and known as B.1.1.7., has an unusually high number of mutations and is associated with more efficient and rapid transmission.

There is no evidence that the mutant strain is associated with more severe disease outcomes. However, as it is more transmissible, additional people are likely to get infected, and this could lead to a higher number of serious infections and further fatalities.

Scientists first detected this mutant strain of the virus in September. The variant of concern has since been detected in at least 44 countries, including the U.S., which has reported its presence in 12 states.

Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the modeled trajectory of the variant in the U.S. “exhibits rapid growth in early 2021, becoming the predominant variant in March.”

The forecast comes as the U.K., which has seen exponential growth of the strain in the months since its discovery, struggles to control its impact.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced lockdown measures in England on Jan. 5, instructing people to “stay at home” as most schools, bars and restaurants were ordered to close. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all introduced similar measures.

The restrictions, which are expected to remain in place in England until at least mid-February, were brought in to try to reduce the strain on the nation’s already stressed hospitals amid an upsurge in Covid admissions.

Government figures released on Thursday said Britain recorded 37,892 new Covid cases with 1,290 deaths. A day earlier, the U.K. recorded an all-time record high of Covid fatalities, when data showed an additional 1,820 people had died within 28 days of a positive Covid test.

Dr. Deepti Gurdasani, clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University of London, stressed that it was clear from the U.K. response that unless aggressive measures were taken immediately to contain virus spread, “the variant will rapidly spread geographically, as well as increase in frequency in places where it has established into the community.”

Gurdasani cited findings from a closely-watched study led by researchers at Imperial College London that showed “no evidence of decline” in Covid rates between Jan. 6 to Jan. 15 despite…