According to the British Government Emergency Advisors Group (SAGE), scientists in the UK have described several possible scenarios for the development of coronavirus mutations, one of which suggests that the mortality of a new potential strain could be 35%.
Report informs, citing Russian media, that one of the scenarios provides for the emergence of a variant of the coronavirus, which will lead to more severe cases of the disease and higher mortality among those infected.
The mortality rate for this strain may be similar to that of "other zoonotic coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV (about 10% mortality) or MERS-CoV (about 35% mortality), the document says. SARS-CoV causes SARS, while MERS-CoV is the so-called camel flu.
Experts consider this option 'really possible.' According to them, this scenario can be avoided by introducing additional doses of the vaccine and minimizing the risk of transmission of the coronavirus and the import of new variants from abroad.