English Variant Not Linked To More Serious Infections: Study 04/12/21 AT 8:17 PM The English variant of the novel coronavirus does not increase the severity of Covid-19 compared to other strains, according to research published Tuesday that also confirmed its increased transmissibility. The variant, known as B117, is now the dominant viral strain across much of Europe, and previous studies had shown it was linked to a higher likelihood of death than normal variants. But two studies published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and The Lancet Public Health journals found no evidence that people with B117 experience worse symptoms or a greater risk of developing long Covid than those infected with different variants.