Introduction
Recently a team of French scientists has discovered a new variant of Covid-19 in people at Marseilles, France. They have come from the African country of Cameroon. As per the study conducted by the scientists, the new strain of coronavirus features mutation in E484K and N501Y amino acids in the spike protein. According to a paper published in the online Journal medRxiv, the scientists have identified a new Covid-19 variant in at least 12 cases. This paper further elaborated that the finding of several mutations in the phylogenetic position of genomes warranted the designation of a new variant of Covid-19. The emerging data indicates the unpredictable nature of the emergence of coronavirus variants and their distribution in new geographical areas.
New Covid-19 Strain - Ihu
Characterized genetically as B.1.640.2, new Covid-19 strain Ihu is not spotted in other countries and not scrutinized by World Health Organization for more information dissipation to the society. The genomic materials derived from the suspected cases were sequenced using GridION instruments in Oxford Nanopore Technologies. The genomic study revealed the existence of about 14 amino acid substitutions, including E484K and N501Y, in the spike protein. These substitutions also included nine deletions. The emergence of a new genotype necessitated the designation of the new strain of Covid-19 as B.1.640.2. The new variant is the phylogenetic sister of the old B.1.640.1 SARS-CoV-2 lineage.
Characteristics
The reputed Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding indicated that the new coronavirus variants would appear globally. These variants have lesser virulence and higher transmissibility. Hence, such coronavirus strains may not be that dangerous to the world. The virus strain becomes a cause of concern and popular when it acquires the ability to mutate and multiply faster to evade the immune defense mechanisms of the human body, he further adds in his Twitter thread. It is not clear whether the new coronavirus variant falls in this dangerous category or not, the doctor further added in his long tweet.
Omicron Variant
The South African doctors had identified the Omicron in a patient sample on November 24, 2021. Since its discovery, the Omicron variant has become a cause of concern as it has spread to 100+ nations globally, including India. Currently, there are over 2000 cases of Omicron infections in India.