French scientists have found a new variant of COVID-19 that has more defects than Omicron.
A new variant of the disease was discovered in 12 patients in southern France and has 46 and 36 deletions.
The paper gained traction after a US-based epidemiologist posted a long thread explaining the threat on January 3. The new variant of the disease-causing virus has two substitution in its spike protein, which is used in vaccines to defend against diseases.
The new variant of the virus has caused 14 and nine deletions in the spikeProtein.
The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variant from abroad are unpredictable andmplify the difficulty to control such introduction and subsequent spread, as noted by scientists in a series of tweets.
B.1.640.2 has not been seen in other countries or labelled a variant under investigation by the World Health Organization.
Regional hospitalisations are climbing at a much faster rate than the national average, and analyst Oliver Alexander pointed out in his thread.
Things start to look worrying at the daily intensive care unit admissions. The region is already over the previous highest peak and climbing. He noted that deaths are higher than the French average.
Alexander was not sure if the difference was due to the new variant or the rate of vaccinations.
B.1.640.2 can be identified with the help of the PCR analysis of signals different from Omicron and Delta.
He was pragmatic that a new variant doesn't mean more dangerous.
A variant that has many of the same genes as the original virus is more dangerous because it can spread. Omicron is a variant of concern because it is more contagious and past immunity evasive. He noted that it was not certain which category this new variant would fall in.
