A new variant of the coronavirus, the "Henri Mondor variant" - named after the hospital where it was identified - carrying mutations that could make it more transmissible or reduce its sensitivity to vaccination, is under surveillance in France.
Today it represents around 2% of new contaminations.
A new variant of the coronavirus is under surveillance in France.
The "Henri-Mondor variant", named after the Créteil hospital where it was identified, carries mutations which could make it more transmissible or reduce its sensitivity to vaccination.
Its circulation is not limited to Île-de-France since cases have been observed thanks to sequencing in the south of France, but also in Brittany.
Today it represents around 2% of new contaminations.
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A "variant of interest"
This is a “variants of interest” or “variants to monitor”, the potentially problematic genetic characteristics of which justify monitoring.
It has not yet been classified as a "variant of concern" like the English, South African or Brazilian variants, which are exacerbating the epidemic and making it more difficult to control.
Identified six weeks ago, this variant immediately attracted the attention of researchers, as explained by Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, infectious disease specialist at Henri Mondor hospital, guest of Europe Matin.
"It is a virus that did not look like the viruses we are used to seeing. It has 18 mutations on its genome, all of which belong to this class of variants with the famous Spike protein, which is very important since it 'is the protein that allows viruses to get into cells. So, immediately, we realized that it was something different, "recalls the scientist.
Potential vaccine resistance
If it is not a priori synonymous with more serious forms of Covid, the "Henri Mondor variant" is indeed closely followed by researchers because one of its 18 mutations is particularly worrying.
"One of the two mutations is present on the protein of the virus which allows it to attach to the cells that it infects. It is this protein which is targeted by the vaccination and this mutation could therefore play a role vis-à-vis vaccine resistance ", explains Yannick Simonin, virologist at Inserm.
A hypothesis confirmed by Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, from the Henri Mondor hospital.
"It is a virus which is potentially more contagious and we are in the process of checking it at the level of cell cultures, to see if there is a change in infectivity. And above all, we are checking if the virus is also sensitive to neutralizing antibodies, in particular those induced by vaccination, than other viruses circulating today, because that is what interests us for the future ".
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Not widely used today
The researchers will therefore continue to sequence the new cases in order to find out whether this "Henri Mondor variant" will really be more resistant to vaccination.
They will also monitor its evolution in the coming weeks to determine if it could gain the upper hand over other variants, or if only one mutant remains among the hundreds of others already observed.
Because as Jean-Michel Pawlotsky reminds us, the "Henri Mondor" variant is not yet as widespread as the others.
"There are quite a few in the Paris region, in particular in Val-de-Marne and Seine et Marne. But we have also found in Brittany, at the level of a cluster in an Epad, and there is also quite a few cases that have been reported in Dordogne and a few cases in the South-East. So there are all over France but in proportions which remain relatively low. Now the big question is going to be 'Is it? we are going to have more and more of them or will they end up being suffocated by those who progress faster? '".