B.1.1.7. variant more transmissible, does not increase severity, Lancet studies suggest

(The Lancet) Two new studies, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and The Lancet Public Health, found no evidence that people with the B.1.1.7. variant experience worse symptoms or a heightened risk of developing long COVID compared with those infected with a different COVID-19 strain. However, viral load and R number were higher for B.1.1.7., adding to growing evidence that it is more transmissible than the first strain detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news