New coronavirus variant identified in Europe

The origin of the variant is still unknown, but it is descended from another one first identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April of last year.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
This undated transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, also known as novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S. Virus particles are shown emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. The spikes on the outer edge of the virus parti (photo credit: NIAID-RML/FILE PHOTO/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
This undated transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, also known as novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S. Virus particles are shown emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. The spikes on the outer edge of the virus parti
(photo credit: NIAID-RML/FILE PHOTO/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
A new coronavirus variant has been identified by the University of Liege in Belgium with a number of key spike mutations and a spike insertion, Deutsche Welle reported on Monday.
The variant, B.1.214.2, has been sequenced 332 times and was first identified in Switzerland, although over half of all the sequences are from Belgium, according to PANGO Lineages (Phylogenetic Assignment of Named Global Outbreak).
The variant has also been identified in France, Britain, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, the US, Senegal, the Netherlands and Bulgaria.
The origin of the variant is still unknown, but it is descended from another one first identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April of last year, according to German international broadcaster.
It is still unclear whether or not the new variant is more contagious or severe.
The variant joins a series of coronavirus variants detected around the world, including the South African variant, the UK variant, the Brazilian variants, the New York variant, the California variant and the German variant, among others.


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