A new Corona variant is detected in France. Little is known so far, but experts are “not very worried” yet.
Update from January 5th, 2022, 10:25 a.m.: According to experts, the new Corona variant discovered in France should be observed – but they have not yet recognized a major risk. “We should observe this as well as other variants, but there is no reason to be particularly concerned about this variant,” said Richard Neher, expert on virus variants at the University of Basel (Switzerland), on Tuesday (04.01.2022) the dpa news agency . The US epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding wrote on Twitter: “I’m not yet very worried about B.1.640.2. I doubt that it will prevail over Omikron or Delta. “
French researchers led by Didier Raoult from the IHU Méditerranée Infection Institute had demonstrated the new variant in twelve patients in south-east France, as the team wrote in a preprint paper at the end of December. The patient, who was probably infected first in France, came back from a trip from Cameroon.
New Corona variant B.1.640.2 does not seem to be spreading too much
A team led by the French researcher from the IHU Méditerranée Infection institute writes in conclusion about the new variant: “It is too early to speculate about the virological, epidemiological or clinical properties of the new variant.” However, your data are another example of how unpredictable Variants of the coronavirus could occur.
However, variant B.1.640.2 does not seem to have spread to any great extent so far, says the Basel expert Neher. She is “one of many that has not prevailed against Omikron and Delta at least so far”.
Next Corona variant reaches Europe: Karl Lauterbach “in exchange”
First report from January 4th, 2022: Marseille – The corona virus is changing. Another variant of Sars-CoV-2 has appeared in Europe, this time in France. This is the corona mutant * B.1.640.2.
The Corona variant apparently comes from Cameroon and was probably brought into the country by a person who had returned from a trip. In the south of France, the person probably infected twelve other people from the closer geographic area with the new variant of the corona virus, according to scientists. Experts from the IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille in the south of France discovered the mutant at the beginning of December 2021.
A study has now been published in this regard, but it has not yet been independently verified. The data situation is so far confusing. According to the authors of the analysis, 46 mutations were detected in the variant, including the already known mutations N501Y and E484K.
New Corona variant reaches Europe: Karl Lauterbach expresses himself
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach * classified the discovery of the new Corona variant in relation to our editorial team: “We still know too little to be able to say anything useful. But I’m already in contact with specialists, ”said the SPD politician.
While the new mutation is still largely unexplored, the omicron variant that is circulating is of concern to politics and science. Because of this, the Federal Government’s Expert Council and the Robert Koch Institute meet on Tuesday. It is about recommendations for the upcoming Corona summit on Friday *. (tu) * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Picture list: © Leonello Calvetti / imago
