France Reportedly Detects New 'IHU Variant' Of COVID More Deadlier Than Omicron: What We Know
Researchers say that it contains 46 mutations 每 even more than Omicron 每 which makes it more resistant to vaccines and infectious.
Amid Omicron terror and the steady rise in Covid-19 cases across the globe which has been attributed to the highly mutated existant variant, scientists in France have reportedly identified a new, much more infectious mutated strain called IHU B.1.640.2 variant. The discovery of the variant was announced in a paper posted on medRxiv.
Called IHU, as of now, the strain was discovered by academics based at the IHU Mediterranee Infection on 10 December.
However, it hasn't been dubbed as a 'variant' by the World Health Organisation (WHO) yet.
Here's everything that we know so far.
1) Contains 46 mutations
Researchers say that it contains 46 mutations 每 even more than Omicron 每 which makes it more resistant to vaccines and infectious.
2) 12 cases reported, linked to African country Cameroon
At least 12 cases of the new variant have been reported near Marseilles, and has been linked to travel to the African country Cameroon.
3) More transmissible, more resistant to vaccines
Tests show the strain carries the N501Y mutation 〞 first seen on the Alpha variant 〞 that experts believe can make it more transmissible According to the scientists, it also carries the E484K mutation, which could mean that the IHU variant will be more resistant to vaccines.
4) No word by WHO yet
It is yet to be spotted in other countries or labelled a variant under investigation by the World Health Organization.
※Fourteen amino acid substitutions, including N501Y and E484K, and 9 deletions are located in the spike protein. This genotype pattern led to create a new Pangolin lineage named B.1.640.2, which is a phylogenetic sister group to the old B.1.640 lineage renamed B.1.640.1,§ the research paper said.
"Dangerous is its ability to multiply"
Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding posted a long Twitter thread in which he said that new variants keep emerging but it does not necessarily mean they will be more dangerous. ※What makes a variant more well-known and dangerous is its ability to multiply because of the number of mutations it has in relation to the original virus,§ he said.
?NEW VARIANT〞French scientists have ※rung the bell§ after discovering a cluster 12 cases of a variant of ※atypical combination§ with **46 mutations & 37 deletions** in southern France after index case returned from Cameroon??〞dubbed #B16402.? #COVID19 https://t.co/SHXCbnkQUr pic.twitter.com/UwdL2hSW5g
〞 Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) January 3, 2022
※This is when it becomes a "variant of concern" - like Omicron, which is more contagious and more past immunity evasive. It remains to be seen in which category this new variant will fall,§ the doctor further said.
Omicron continues to wreak havoc
Currently, Omicron is the dominant coronavirus variant in France, joining other European countries like the United Kingdom and Portugal with surging case numbers over the past few days. France's public health agency had recently said that "62.4 percent of tests showed a profile compatible with the Omicron variant".
The Omicron variant of coronavirus has stoked average daily confirmed cases to more than 160,000 per day over the past week, with peaks above 200,000. In an attempt to battle this surge, French MPs have proposed legislation that would require most people to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter public spaces such as bars, restaurants and long-distance public transport.
It is expected to come into force on 15 January after passing through the upper house Senate.
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