The reason the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK is more transmissible than earlier versions of the virus may be that it spends more time inside infected people, giving them more time to spread the virus, according to a small study.
Among individuals infected with the variant designated B.1.1.7, the average duration of infection was 13.3 days, compared with 8.2 days in those infected by an older version of the coronavirus.
“The findings are preliminary, as they are based on seven B.1.1.7 cases,” the researchers cautioned in a report posted without peer review on a Harvard University website. “However, if borne out by additional data, a longer isolation period than the currently recommended 10 days after symptom onset may be needed to effectively interrupt secondary infections by this variant,” they said.