Hard on the heels of the omicron variant , another new highly mutated coronavirus strain has popped up on the world stage. But unlike omicron, which quickly raised alarm bells when it was detected, health experts so far are not viewing the new variant as a significant threat. The B.1.640.2 variant — dubbed IHU for the research institute in Marseille, France, where it was first detected, mostly likely in early November — features 46 mutations, including one that would make it more transmissible and another capable of evading vaccine immunity. Omicron has a similar number of mutations , more than a dozen of which it shares with variants like delta, alpha and beta that have surged in places around the globe. With more than 30 mutations its spike protein alone, which is considered key to its ability to infect human cells, omicron immediately sparked a worldwide response, prompting global travel restrictions within days of its discovery in southern Africa in mid-November. By contrast, experts so far say there is no need to worry about IHU. Its spread has been limited, they say, and it does not appear likely to explode like omicron. According to a non-peer-reviewed report released late last… Read full this story
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