New ‘vaccine-resistant’ Covid variant discovered

Another highly transmissible Covid-19 variant linked to travel in an African country has been discovered in France.

A new Covid-19 variant has been discovered in southern France, spreading in a small outbreak, according to a new study.

Approximately 12 cases have been detected so far near Marseilles, with the first linked to travel to the African country Cameroon.

The variant, tentatively identified B.1.640.2 according to a recent study backed by the French government that has yet to be peer-reviewed, has 46 mutations that are thought to make it both more vaccine-resistant and infectious than the original virus.

A nurse tends to a Covid-19 patient at the intensive care unit of the Delafontaine AP-HP hospital in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. Picture: AFP

According to scientists, there is little sign that the new variant is outdoing the dominant Omicron variant, which now makes up more than 60 per cent of cases in France.

The strain was discovered on December 10 by academics based at the IHU Mediterranee Infection.

Professor Philippe Colson, who heads up the unit, said: “We indeed have several cases of this new variant in the Marseilles geographical area.

“We named it ‘variant IHU’. Two new genomes have just been submitted.”

Scientists say the lineage is genetically different to B.1.640, which is thought to have emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo in September.

According to media reports, tests show the strain carries the E484K mutation that is thought to make it more resistant to vaccines.

It also has the N501Y mutation, first discovered in the Alpha variant, which experts believe can make it more transmissible.

Originally published as New ‘vaccine-resistant’ Covid variant discovered