IHU COVID variant: What does WHO say about B.1.640.2? What are risks associated with it?

French researchers have discovered a new variant of Covid-19, B.1.640 and believe to originate from Cameroon, according to the World's Health Organization (WHO). It is currently not very contagious and has only been identified in less than 1 per cent of samples collected from the French population and sequenced so far. 

Katherine O'Brien, director of the WHO's Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department, said that B.1.640 is not a variant that is increasing in prevalence but is a small fraction of the strains that are circulating.

Why B.1.640.2 is named as the IHU variant?

The strain is also known as the IHU variant because academics first identified it at the IHU Mediterranee Infection institute in Marseille, France, reports Xinhua news agency.

On December 9, 2021, IHU Méditerranée Infection took to its Twitter to announce the discovery of a new variant of COVID-19.

The discovery of the IHU COVID variant

"A new COVID-19 variant has been detected at the IHU Méditerranée Infection from patients of Forcalquier. It was named the IHU variant and deposited on GISAID under the name B.1.640.2," the Twitter post read.

Un nouveau variant COVID-19 à été détecté à l'IHU Méditerranée Infection issu de patients de Forcalquier. Il a été baptisé variant IHU et déposé sur GISAID sous le nom de B.1.640.2. pic.twitter.com/Rh3klIxy0w

— IHU Méditerranée Infection (@IHU_Marseille) December 9, 2021

Maria van Kerkhove WHO is SHE?????, at a press briefing on Thursday said the variant had been detected in a number of countries since September 2021  ,, according to IANS. Kerkhove explained that the WHO classified the B.1.640 variant as a VUM to raise public awareness due to its many mutations.

She emphasised that current Covid-19 vaccines are effective against all circulating variants and can prevent severe disease and death.

"I think that's really important for the public to know ... when it is your turn, get vaccinated because it's really critical," she said.

In November 2021, the WHO classified it as a "variant under monitoring" (VUM).

(Pic: WHO)

According to the WHO's definition, a VUM is a SARS-CoV-2 variant with genetic changes that are suspected to affect virus characteristics, which may pose a future risk, but evidence of phenotypic or epidemiological impact is currently unclear. Thus, requiring enhanced monitoring and repeat assessment pending new evidence.