In the midst of the worldwide Omicron outbreak, a novel coronavirus strain known as ‘IHU’ has surfaced in France. The B.1.640.2 variant was found at the IHU Mediterranee Infection Institute. It is thought to have 46 mutations, according to researchers. This has more mutations than the Covid-19 Omicron version.
According to media sources, roughly 12 instances of this new variety have been recorded near Marseilles, and it has been connected to Cameroon in Africa. However, the Omicron strain continues to dominate in most regions of the world.
This new variety has the potential to pose a severe concern; nevertheless, no instances have been documented in countries other than France, and the World Health Organization has not classified it as a ‘variant under study’ (WHO).
The strain has the E484K mutation, which can make it more resistant to vaccinations, according to a report published on medRxiv. It also carries the N501Y mutation, which was initially discovered in the Alpha variety and is thought to make it more transmissible.
Meanwhile, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, said on Tuesday, January 4, that he planned to “piss-off” the unvaccinated with additional limitations on social connections, according to Reuters. In 2021, the French government adopted legislation requiring a PCR test or evidence of vaccination to attend hospitality venues, and now intends to issue a vaccine passport, which would allow only those who have been properly vaccinated to enter pubs and restaurants, among other locations.
In an interview with Le Parisien, Macron stated that pissing off the unvaccinated was a policy his administration would follow to the end. “I truly want to annoy the unvaccinated. As a result, we’ll keep doing so till the conclusion. That is the plan, “Macron revealed it in an interview published on Tuesday. The remark comes only four months before the French presidential election, and it has sparked widespread outrage from his political opponents.
