B.1.640.2 was identified in a Cameroonian tourist, and it contains more mutations than Omicron. In Israel, the first “flurona” case has been verified. Just when we thought things were looking good, a new variation has arisen, which, although more infectious, frequently has a gentler course than delta. We have no idea how harmful it is or where it came from.
The new form was discovered in a visitor returning to France from Cameroon in early December, according to the IHU Mediterranean in Marseille. According to reports, the Cameroonian returned affected 12 individuals in southern France.
There are even more mutations than in omicron
According to a preprint paper that has not yet been peer-reviewed, this novel mutant, known as B.1.640.2, contains 46 mutations in a “atypical mix.” The two previously identified spike protein mutations N501Y and E484K are also detected in the novel corona variation, according to this research. In the alpha version, for example, the N501Y mutation was discovered early on. It allows the infection to attach more tightly to human cells, making it easier for it to propagate throughout the body. E484K is one of the escape mutations found directly in the spike protein, which may diminish COVID-19 vaccination efficacy.
Little is known about the risk and its source.
However, owing to a paucity of data and a limited number of cases, it is impossible to say with certainty what these alterations represent or whether the new coronavirus variation B.1.640.2 is truly more infectious than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. We don’t know anything about this new variant’s origins, either. The fact that B.1.640.2 has been found in a returnee from Cameroon for the first time does not suggest that the variety has spread across the Central African nation. Low vaccination rates, on the other hand, seem to foster the development of novel coronavirus variants. According to research from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, just 2.4 percent of the population in Cameroon is completely vaccinated. New varieties will continue to emerge as long as the vaccination effort is not progressed internationally. They are sometimes more innocuous, and sometimes more hazardous. It’s unclear how dangerous this new version will be.
Reasons for the gentler omicron course
We already know that the omicron form is much more infectious and is quickly spreading around the globe. At the same time, most patients’ symptoms are substantially milder, as shown by an increasing number of studies. It’s also starting to become evident which elements are at play. Most infected people are protected from a severe course of COVID-19 by the T-cells of vaccinated and recovered people, which respond to omicron. True, omicron mutations have changed the spike protein in such a way that past infection or vaccination-induced antibodies are no longer as protective. Researchers from Cape Town, South Africa, discovered that the acquired immune response by T-cells still works in 70% to 80% of instances, identical to the earlier beta and delta forms. According to the researchers, the T-cells of vaccinated and recovered patients identified omicron almost as well as the original coronavirus strain.
The IHU virus
Scientists have discovered a new strain of the COVID-19-causing virus in Southern France, while the globe grapples with the highly modified Omicron variety of SARS-CoV-2. The B.1.640.2 variation, often known as ‘IHU,’ has been documented in at least 12 cases by researchers at the institution IHU Mediterrane” Infection, and has been related to travel to the African nation of Cameroon. However, the researchers cautioned that it is too soon to hypothesize on how this variation behaves in terms of infection and vaccination protection.
IHU includes 46 mutations and 37 deletions, resulting in 30 amino acid changes and 12 deletions, according to the research, which was published on the public site MedRxiv on December 29. Amino acids are the building blocks of life, and proteins are made up of amino acids. The spike protein has fourteen amino acid changes and nine deletions, including N501Y and E484K. The majority of existing vaccines target SARS-spike CoV-2’s protein, which the virus utilizes to enter and infect cells. Previously, N501Y and E484K mutations have been discovered in Beta, Gamma, Theta, and Omicron variations.
“Based on our earlier definition, the mutation set and phylogenetic position of the genomes acquired here imply a novel variation we designated IHU,” the study’s authors said. “These findings demonstrate the unpredictability of SARS-CoV-2 variants’ development and entry into a specific geographical region from overseas,” they noted.
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So, what about IHU?
On Tuesday, Feigl-Ding tweeted, “What makes a variation more well-known and deadly is its capacity to reproduce due to the amount of mutations it has in respect to the original virus.”
“This is when it turns into a “variant of concern,” such as Omicron, which is more infectious and immune-evasive. It’s unclear which category this new variety will belong under “he said The Omicron form, which was initially detected in South Africa and Botswana in November last year, is causing a surge in COVID-19 cases in several nations. Since then, the fear has spread to more than 100 nations.
