A new strain of the drug Covid-19 has been discovered in France, a team of scientists informed. Researchers said it’s too early to assess the variant’s features. The new strain was detected in 12 patients living in the same geographical area in southeastern France.
- The strain is related to the B.1.640 lineage, which the World Health Organization (WHO) identified as a variation under monitoring (VUM) in November.
- Genome analysis revealed that the virus of this particular strain has 46 mutations. It means it is “too early to speculate on virological, epidemiological or clinical features,” they said.
- The first known case was a vaccinated adult who returned from a trip to Cameroon with moderate respiratory symptoms the day before the diagnosis in a French village.
- A new strain of coronavirus, classified as a variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO), has been identified for the first time. Scientists have been on high alert for new mutations that could produce variants that are more contagious and vaccine-resistant. The emergence of the Omicron variant prompted multiple countries to close their borders and tighten other pandemic-related restrictions.
- Last week, WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted
“As this pandemic drags on, it’s possible that new variants could evade our countermeasures.”
Meanwhile, Israel is experiencing a spike in influenza cases, sparking fears of a “twindemic”. A pregnant woman tested positive for both COVID-19 and the flu after being admitted to a hospital in Petah Tikva. Local media report it is the first documented case of the simultaneous infection found in Israel so far in the pandemic.
Bangladesh’s government aims to administer a double dose of the Covid-19 pandemic vaccine to all eligible persons by June and a booster dose by the end of this year. So far, over half the population received the first dose, and the government hopes to deliver a second dose by December.
