A new variant of the coronavirus has been discovered in southern France. This was announced by the electronic version of the Austrian newspaper Heute.

The publication notes that an unknown strain has been identified in travelers returning to France from Cameroon. Experts do not rule out that the cause of this variant to be common in the African country.

The tests revealed an "atypical combination of mutations" in all those infected.

The new variant, discovered in Marseille, is designated B.1.640.2. A study by French scientists says that 46 mutations have been identified in the variant. The level of threat or infectivity of this strain is unknown.

The WHO is monitoring the new version, the organization's expert Maria Van Kerkhove said on Twitter. Due to the lack of sufficient information on B.1.640, it is classified as a "monitored option".

B.1.640 was classified as a “Variant Under Monitoring” by @WHO in Nov

See link for more info on variants we are tracking. @WHO @GISAID & partners have robust system for detecting, assessing, classifying, info & sequencing sharing for decision making.https://t.co/Hq7RkuWQwx https://t.co/ZBBCGh9dFW pic.twitter.com/WwMBtlk3Zl

— Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) January 3, 2022

/Nova

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