France detects new Covid-19 variant ‘IHU’, 12 infected

Paris, 4/1:French researchers have detected a new Covid variant, probably of Cameroonian origin, and have temporarily named it as ‘IHU’.

 

The new variant from the lineage named B.1.640.2 is believed to have infected 12 people in the country, according to a yet-to-be peer-reviewed study supported by the French Government.

It has 46 mutations and 37 deletions.

“For twelve SARS-CoV-2-positive patients living in the same geographical area of southeastern France, qPCR testing that screen for variant-associated mutations showed an atypical combination,” said Philippe Colson, from IHU Mediterranee Infection, Marseille, France.

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