A new variant of COVID-19 termed IHU has been discovered in France. While not classified as a ‘variant’ of concern by WHO, the new variant is said to be a more mutated strain than Omicron and is said to be ‘even more infectious’ by scientists.
The IHU variant also known as B.1.640.2 was first identified by the academics at institute IHU Mediterranee Infection and contains 46 mutations, which is more than Omicron.
According to media reports, about 12 cases of this new variant have been reported near Marseilles, and has been linked to travellers from Cameroon.