The coronavirus variant B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom, has been found to be associated with a 64% higher risk of death from COVID-19 in a new research.

A sample of people in the UK infected with the new variant were found to be 32% to 104% - an estimated 64% - more likely to die, compared to those infected with the previous variants, reported the study published in the BMJ. The variant was previously found to be more transmissible and the new data suggest that the variant may also be more deadly. According to the study, the new variant was tied to 227 deaths in a sample of 54,906 patients, compared to 141 deaths among the same number of patients infected with previous strains… (CNN, March 10, 2021)