New strain of the of SARS-CoV-2 variant discovered by scientists in Southern France and it is called as IHU:
- The new COVID-19 mutation has been reported by researchers at institute IHU Mediterranee Infection in at least 12 cases.
- This new strain of the COVID-19 has been linked to travel to African country Cameroon.
- It is too early to speculate on how this variant behaves as far as infection and protection from vaccines are concerned.
- IHU has 46 mutations and 37 deletions resulting in 30 amino acid substitutions and 12 deletions.
- The B.1.640.2 has not been identified in other countries so far or labeled a variant under investigation by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- The index (first) case was an adult diagnosed positive by RTPCR performed in a laboratory on a nasopharyngeal sample collected in mid-November last year.
- COVID-19 variants, according to Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, 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,” Feigl-Ding tweeted on January 4.
- 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,” he added.
Source: The Filipino Times
