Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images
The novel coronavirus responsible for the pandemic has mutated. One variant, called B.1.1.7, is more infectious and has forced the UK into lockdown.
The variant has also been discovered in multiple US states and in other countries.
The variant does not appear to be more deadly, and experts believe existing vaccines should work against it.
But Adam Kucharski, an assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said that, in general, a variant that s 50% more transmissible is a bigger problem than a variant that s 50% more deadly. A really severe disease that one person gets won t necessarily have as much impact as a sometimes-severe disease that a huge number of people get, he told Business Insider.
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A top scientist explains why a more infectious coronavirus variant is a bigger problem than a deadlier strain
A top scientist explains why a more infectious coronavirus variant is a bigger problem than a deadlier strain
Dr. Catherine Schuster-BruceJan 6, 2021, 23:23 IST
A nurse puts on her Personal Protective Equipment before tending to a COVID-19 patient on October 21, 2020 in Essen, Germany.Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images
The deadly coronavirus that s spread across the world has mutated. One variant, called B.1.1.7, is more infectious, and has forced the UK into national lockdown.
The variant has also been discovered in multiple US states, and in other countries around the world.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Moncef Slaoui, head of the White House s Operation Warpspeed, said the new coronavirus variant should be under control with the vaccines. This virus actually mutates as part of its normal behavior, and therefore it is normal to expect there will be variants, Slaoui said in an interview on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday.
Vaccine companies and health experts have said that the coronavirus vaccines, should work to protect against the new variant that is believed to be up to to 70% more transmissible.
Moncef Slaoui, head of the White House s Operation Warpspeed, said the new coronavirus variant should be under control with the vaccines.
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Healthcare startups that had a breakout year in 2020 are poised to have an even better 2021, investors told Business Insider.
Startups, especially those focused on virtual care benefitted from being in the right place at the right time amid the global pandemic.
Business Insider interviewed dozens of venture capitalists and other private investors to learn which startups are poised to take off in 2021.
Looking back, 2020 will likely mark a sea change for healthcare startups.
Many startups saw a pandemic-sized opportunity and took advantage of new technology and newly agile hospitals and clinics to break into the notoriously difficult field.