Researchers have been reporting on a new strain called B.1.640.2 or IHU detected in France. But is it as worrying as other variants of COVID-19 – and what do we know about it so far?
What is the IHU variant?
At the end of 2021, researchers discovered a new COVID-19 variant in France. The strain was found in a vaccinated French traveller who had returned from Cameroon in Africa in November. The researchers noted that he developed mild respiratory symptoms the day before he was diagnosed.
Named after the Institut Hospitalier Universitaire in Marseilles where it was first identified, the IHU has 46 genetic mutations and Omicron 50 mutations. It is not spreading as fast as Omicron and WHO says it is not a variant of concern.
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