As cases of Omicron continue to rise around the world, a new COVID-19 variant with 46 mutations has started to cause fear in southeast France. In the first statement, it was reported that 12 cases caused by the variant were detected.
The variant is actually not so new, it was first detected in November. WHO official Abdi Mahamud confirms that the variant was first detected in November and says it has not posed a major threat since: “The variant is on our radar. It had many chances to move forward but it didn’t.”
Information on the new variant is extremely limited. However, it is thought to have originated in Cameroon and carries multiple mutations in the spike protein. The region near Marseille is said to have seen a significant increase in hospitalizations. However, it should not be forgotten that the region has low vaccination rates and an elderly population.
The variant identified as B. 1. 640. 2 and now designated IHU is the sibling of B. 1. 640 (now called B. 1. 640. 1), which has been labeled “variant under monitoring” by WHO.
The MedRxiv article, which analyzes the new variant and describes the 46 mutations contained in it, has not yet received peer-review. It also does not contain any information about its severity or contagiousness. In short, we know almost nothing about the IHU variant yet.
The authors note that the first person identified to have the IHU variant returned from a trip to Cameroon three days ago and was fully vaccinated. This indicates that the new variant may have a high ability to evade the vaccine.
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