Scientists in the United States have reported a strain of the iota coronavirus with a lethality rate of 82 percent. This is reported on the medrxiv.org portal.
A team of scientists from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Columbia University School of Public Health examined epidemiological data collected in New York from November 2020 to April 2021 and concluded that this variant of the virus is transmitted by 15 -25% faster than other known mutations.
This strain is also able to increase the mortality rate from infection, which is the proportion of deaths from the total number of infected people: during the study period, the rate increased by 46%, 82% and 62% among people aged 45-64, 65-74 and over 75 years, respectively, the publication reports.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health explained the information about the “iota” strain identified in the United States. “It gives a mortality rate of up to 82 percent, especially in the age range over 45, and is transmitted 25 percent faster than other mutations,” said Sergei Tokarev, MD. “The new strain is more pathogenic and infectious, and may also elude the immune response,” he said.
