STATEN ISLAND, NY - A possible new coronavirus (COVID-19) variant has been detected overseas, according to multiple media reports.
According to a report by FOX5 NY, the variant called "IHU" was revealed in France earlier this week. The variant has already infected 12 people living near Marseilles.
At this time, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not labeled the new strain a type under investigation.
WHO considers types of concern that increase transmission capacity or increase virulence or reduce vaccine effectiveness.
According to FOX5, so far officials have found that the new variant has 46 mutations. The cases have been linked to travel to Cameroon.
According to a paper posted on MedRxiv, the strain contains E484K and N501Y mutations, which could make it more resistant to vaccines and make it more transmissible.
Omicron accounted for 95% of new coronavirus infections in the US last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).