It comes after scientists rang the alarm bells over “the emergence of a new variant” in southern France. They spotted 12 patients in the same region whose tests showed “an atypical combination”. The index case had returned from travelling to Cameroon, suggesting to experts that it may have originated in the African country.
Dubbed the IHU variant, its official name is B.1.640.2 and encompasses “present genomes and three other genomes,” including “two samples collected in England”.
Unconfirmed reports suggest there could be a number of cases “already in the UK”.
Express.co.uk has contacted the Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England to confirm.
Infectious disease specialist Vipin M. Vashishtha commented on Twitter: “Omicron may not be the last worrisome variant of concern (VOC).
“Emergence in southern France of a new SARS2 variant, B1.640.2, aka IHU.
“Experts believe it to be as transmissible as Delta but causing more severe disease and more immune evasive than the former VOC.
“There are close to 1,000 cases detected so far and cases found in the UK and Monaco.”
There are scores of new variants discovered all the time, but it does not necessarily mean they will be more dangerous than Delta or Alpha.
What makes a variant more well-known and dangerous is its ability to multiply because of the number of mutations it has in relation to the original virus.
This is when it becomes a “variant of concern” – like Omicron.
It remains to be seen in which category this new variant will fall.
The variant’s presence was first detected by experts at the IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille.
They announced on their Twitter earlier this month that they had detected a new variant in COVID-19 patients from Forcalquier, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region.
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.
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 seen on the Alpha variant — that experts believe can make it more transmissible.
It is a distant relative of Omicron, which scientists say likely evolved from an older virus.
France has good surveillance for Covid variants, meaning any new mutant strains are quickly picked up.
In Britain, around three in 10 cases are checked for variants.