France detects new variant IHU, 12 infected

However, a researcher says it is too early to speculate on virological, epidemiological or clinical features of the ‘IHU’ variant based on these cases

French researchers have detected a new Covid-19 variant, probably of Cameroonian origin, and have temporarily named it ‘IHU’. The new variant from the lineage named B.1.640.2 is believed to have infected 12 people in the country, according to a yet-to-be peer-reviewed study supported by the French government. It has 46 mutations and 37 deletions. “For twelve SARS-CoV-positive patients living in the same geographical area of southeastern France, qPCR testing that screens for variant-associated mutations showed an atypical combination,” said Philippe Colson, from IHU Mediterranee Infection Foundation, Marseille, France. However, “it is too early to speculate on virological, epidemiological or clinical features of this IHU variant based on these 12 cases,” Colson said.

According to the study, the index case (the first patient) was an vaccinated adult who had returned to France from a trip to Cameroon, in central Africa. Three days after returning he developed mild respiratory symptoms. His nasopharyngeal sample collected mid-November 2021, “revealed an atypical combination that did not correspond to the pattern of the Delta variant involved in almost all SARS-CoV-2 infections at that time”, and later to Omicron as well, Colson said.

Medical staff conduct a COVID-19 rapid test on a woman in Athens, Greece on Monday, where Omicron cases are high. Pic/AP

Respiratory samples collected from seven other SARS-CoV-2-positive patients living in the same geographical area exhibited the same combination of mutations screened by qPCR. They were two adults and five children (below 15 years of age).The respiratory samples from these eight patients were sent to university hospital institute Mediterranee Infection for SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing as recommended by French public health authorities. Further tests led to SARS-CoV-2 genotype identification. The analysis revealed 46 mutations and 37 deletions resulting in 30 amino acid substitutions and 12 deletions. Fourteen amino acid substitutions, including N501Y and E484K, and 9 deletions are located in the spike protein.

“This genotype pattern led to create a new Pangolin lineage named B.1.640.2, which is a phylogenetic sister group to the old B.1.640 lineage renamed B.1.640.1. Both lineages differ by 25 nucleotide substitutions and 33 deletions,” the study said. “The mutation set and phylogenetic position of the genomes obtained here indicate, based on our previous definition, a new variant we named ‘IHU’,” Colson said. “Overall, these observations show once again the unpredictability of the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and their introduction from abroad, and they exemplify the difficulty to control such introduction and subsequent spread,” he said.

Police officers and participants of a meeting to protest measures enacted by the state of Saxony-Anhalt to contain the coronavirus face each other in Magdeburg, Germany, on Monday. Pic/AP

‘T-cells can aid in fight against Omicron’

Researchers have found that T cells - one of the body’s key defences against Covid-19, can mount an effective immune response against Omicron, if antibodies fail to do that. T cells, generated both by vaccinations and Covid-19 infections, have been shown to be critical in limiting progression to severe disease by eliminating virus-infected cells and helping with other immune system functions. Omicron is unlikely to be able to evade T cells, according to the new study led by researchers from the University of Melbourne and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).”

Omicron surge could differ per country: WHO

A top World Health Organisation official says low hospitalisation and death rates in South Africa due to omicron cannot be considered a template for how it will fare in other countries. Dr Abdi Mahamud, Covid-19 incident manager, said Tuesday hospitalisations remain “very low, and  the death has remained very, very low,” but “it cannot be extrapolated from South Africa to other countries, because each is country is unique on its own.”

24,06,634
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

29,26,33,029
Total no. of cases worldwide

54,51,303
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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