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Covid warning as new variant with ’46 mutations’ infects 12 in southern France…

Scientists have rung the alarm bells over “the emergence of a new variant” in southern France.

It comes after 12 patients tested positive in the same region, but their tests showed “an atypical combination”.

The index case had returned from travelling to Cameroon, suggesting to experts that it may have originated in the African country.
Scientists have rung the alarm bells over “the emergence of a new variant” in southern France.

It comes after 12 patients tested positive in the same region, but their tests showed “an atypical combination”.

The index case had returned from travelling to Cameroon, suggesting to experts that it may have originated in the African country.

In a preprint paper, that is yet to be peer reviewed, experts from a French government-back programme said they had identified “46 mutations” in the variant.

The variant has been given the name B.1.640.2.

Its presence was first detected by experts at the IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille.

They announced on their Twitter earlier this month that they had detected a new variant in Covid-19 patients from Forcalquier, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region.

There are scores of new variants discovered all the time, but it does not necessarily mean they will be more dangerous than Delta or Alpha.

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.

This is when it becomes a “variant of concern” – like Omicron.

It remains to be seen in which category this new variant will fall.

But in the new paper, dated December 29, scientists said: “SARS-CoV-2 variants have become a major virological, epidemiological and clinical concern, particularly with regard to the risk of escape from vaccine-induced immunity.”

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