French scientists identify the latest variant of COVID-19, B.1,640.2. The variant, called the IHU variant, is said to have more mutations than Omicron.
The IHU variant name for B.1.640.2 is taken from the IHU Mediterranee Infection institute. Researchers say the variant contains 46 mutations, which makes it more resistant to vaccines and more infectious.
Quoted from Hindustan Times, there have been at least 12 cases of this variant reported in the Marseilles area. The findings of this case are also associated with travel from the African country, Cameroon.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified variant B.1.640.2 as a variant under monitoring or Variant Under Monitoring.
“B.1,640 classified as ‘Variant Under Monitoring’ by WHO in November,” wrote WHO technical lead for COVID-19, Maria van Kerkhove, on her Twitter account seen detik.com, Tuesday (4/1/2022).
Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding posted a thread on Twitter in which he said that new variants kept appearing but that didn’t mean they would be any more dangerous.
“What makes a variant more famous and dangerous is its ability to reproduce because of the number of mutations it has related to the original virus,” he said on his personal Twitter, Tuesday (4/1/2022).
“It’s time to become a ‘variant of concern’ – like Omicron, which is more contagious and more likely to evade immunity after vaccination or previous infection,” he continued.
Watch Videos “Malaysia Confirms Case of Omicron Variant, Enters Before Africa“
[Gambas:Video 20detik]
(star/up)
– .
