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THE Indian coronavirus variant could be 100% more transmissible than the Kent strain, an expert has warned.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, said: “The best estimate at the moment is this variant may be 60% more transmissible than the Alpha [Kent] variant.
“There’s some uncertainty around that depending on assumption and how you analyse the data, between about 30% and maybe even up to 100% more transmissible… Certainly substantially more transmissible.”
It comes as new data suggests the mutation is twice as likely to cause hospitalisation, as June 21’s “Freedom Day” hangs in the balance.
A Public Health England report showed that people who tested positive for the Indian coronavirus variant were at 161% higher risk of needing hospital treatment within 14 days.
This figure already factors in aspects such as vaccine status, age and ethnicity and points to the Indian strain being twice as likely to put you in hospital after contracting it.
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