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Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage B.1.1.7 in England: Insights from linking epidemiological and genetic data
Open accessPreprint — published as 10.1038/s41586-021-03470-x · Paper page
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7, now designated Variant of Concern 202012/01 (VOC) by Public Health England, originated in the UK in late Summer to early Autumn 2020. We examine epidemiological evidence for this VOC having a transmission advantage from several perspectives. First, whole genome sequence data collected from community-based diagnostic testing provides an indication of changing prevalence of different genetic variants through time. Phylodynamic modelling additionally indicates that genetic diversity of this lineage has changed in a manner consistent with exponential growth. Second, we find that changes in VOC frequency inferred from genetic data correspond closely to changes inferred by S-gene target failures (SGTF) in community-based diagnostic PCR testing. Third, we examine growth trends in SGTF and non-SGTF case numbers at local area level across England, and show that the VOC has higher transmissibility than non-VOC lineages, even if the VOC has a different latent period or generation time. Available SGTF data indicate a shift in the age composition of reported cases, with a larger share of under 20 year olds among reported VOC than non-VOC cases. Fourth, we assess the association of VOC frequency with independent estimates of the overall SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number through time. Finally, we fit a semi-mechanistic model directly to local VOC and non-VOC case incidence to estimate the reproduction numbers over time for each. There is a consensus among all analyses that the VOC has a substantial transmission advantage, with the estimated difference in reproduction numbers between VOC and non-VOC ranging between 0.4 and 0.7, and the ratio of reproduction numbers varying between 1.4 and 1.8. We note that these estimates of transmission advantage apply to a period where high levels of social distancing were in place in England; extrapolation to other transmission contexts therefore requires caution.
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“In particular, the mild restrictions that kept around 0.9 with the original virus strain would keep it around 1.3 (at least) if the new variants increase transmissibility of at least 40–50%, as reported in the literature49–51.”
From Modeling vaccination rollouts, SARS-CoV-2 variants and the requirement for non-pharmaceutical interventions in Italy (2021) · cites this paper as [49]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Recently, viral variants of concern have emerged in the UK (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351), and Brazil (P.1) that harbor specific mutations in their S proteins that may be associated with increased transmissibility (50–55).”
From mRNA vaccination boosts cross-variant neutralizing antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection (2021) · cites this paper as [51]
In the citing paper
“SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV enter host cells through binding of the S glycoprotein to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)1,28.”
From Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 to mRNA vaccine-elicited antibodies (2021) · cites this paper as [1]
In the citing paper
“and has been reported to increase transmissibility of the B.1.17 variant circulating in the UK.16”
From Efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.351 Variant (2021) · cites this paper as [16]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Volz, E., Mishra, S., Chand, M., Barrett, J. C., Johnson, R., Geidelberg, L., Hinsley, W. R., Laydon, D. J., Dabrera, G., O’Toole, Á., Amato, R., Ragonnet-Cronin, M., Harrison, I., Jackson, B., Ariani, C. V., Boyd, O., Loman, N. J., McCrone, J. T., Gonçalves, S., Jorgensen, D., Myers, R., Hill, V., Jackson, D. K., Gaythorpe, K., Groves, N., Sillitoe, J., Kwiatkowski, D. P., The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium, Flaxman, S., Ratmann, O., Bhatt, S., Hopkins, S., Gandy, A., Rambaut, A., & Ferguson, N. M.
- Affiliations
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Public Health England (GB)
- Wellcome Sanger Institute (GB)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Volz, Erik
- Ferguson, Neil M
- ORCID
- Volz, Erik
- Mishra, Swapnil
- Chand, Meera
- Barrett, Jeffrey C.
- Geidelberg, Lily
- Hinsley, Wes R
- Laydon, Daniel J
- Dabrera, Gavin
- Harrison, Ian
- Jackson, Ben
- Ariani, Cristina V.
- Boyd, Olivia
- Loman, Nicholas J
- McCrone, John T
- Gonçalves, Sónia
- Jorgensen, David
- Myers, Richard
- Hill, Verity
- Jackson, David K.
- Gaythorpe, Katy
- Groves, Natalie
- Kwiatkowski, Dominic P.
- Flaxman, Seth
- Ratmann, Oliver
- Bhatt, Samir
- Hopkins, Susan
- Gandy, Axel
- Rambaut, Andrew
- Ferguson, Neil M
- Venue
- Nature
- Publisher
- openRxiv
- Published
- 2021-01-04
- Volume
- 593
- Issue
- 7858
- Pages
- 266-269
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3136588845
- Cited by
- 1,611
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 38 · 2025: 86 · 2024: 116 · 2023: 216 · 2022: 464 · 2021: 685
- FWCI
- 116.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Northumbria Research Link (Northumbria University) (submittedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion)
- Apollo
- Funders
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP 1175094, 206194, OPP1197730, MR/R015600/1, OPP1084362)
- Wellcome Trust (MR/R015600/1, 204911/Z/16/Z, Z/17/Z, 206298/Z/17/Z, RDA02, 206298, 206194)
- UK Research and Innovation (MR/V038109/1, MR/R015600/1, MC_PC_19027)
- National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit
- Cancer Research UK (23923)
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (PR-OD-1017–20002, MR/R015600/1, RDA02, NIHR301445, OPP1175094, ACF-2018-04-014)
- Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS-CSF4-Torok, SBF004\1080)
- Imperial College London (MR/R015600/1)
- European Commission (725422, MR/R015600/1, 101003653, COVID-19, 206298/Z/17/Z)
- Rural Development Administration
- Novo Nordisk (NNF20OC0059309)
- Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF20OC0059309)
- Medical Research Council (MR/R015600/1, MR/M006212/1, MC_PC_19026, MR/V038109/1, MR/S00291X/1, MC_PC_19012, COVID-19)
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/V002910/1, EP/V002910/2)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Modeling and Simulation › COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Keywords
- SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.7 lineage, variants of concern, transmissibility, S-gene target failure, time-varying reproduction number, viral genomic surveillance, COVID-19 pandemic, England
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Child, Preschool, England, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Middle Aged, Phylogeny, Time Factors, Genome, Viral, Age Distribution, Evolution, Molecular, Basic Reproduction Number, Young Adult, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
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