Thread by @IndianExpress

Even as the #Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to infect people in large numbers across the world, news about the emergence of another highly-mutated variant spread rapidly, raising fears of yet another wave of infections. #IHU

This variant, B.1.640, has been found mostly in France so far, although it has also been detected in several other countries. The variant was reported to have 46 mutations, including some in the spike protein.
#IHUvariant

The sudden discussion around it was triggered by the circulation of a week-old study by researchers from Méditerranée Infection in Marseille, part of France’s Instituts hospitalo-universitaires (#IHU, or University Hospital Institutes).

The one that the French researchers found among people in November has now been classified as a sub-lineage B.1.640.2.

But why do viruses mutate? Read on: indianexpress.com/article/explai…
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Is #IHU spreading rapidly?
According to outbreak.info, a website that tracks the prevalence of different variants in genome sequencing databases,at least 400 infections with the B.1.640 variant have so far been identified. It has been detected in at least 19 countries.

While the large number of significant mutations in this variant has attracted the interest of researchers, and raised concerns among the public. Is B.1.640 spreading at an unnerving rate? indianexpress.com/article/explai…

With every infection come new opportunities for the virus to mutate. But the legacy of past epidemics, as well as some basic biological principles, provides clues to where we could be headed. indianexpress.com/article/world/…
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