France has detected several cases of a new Covid-19 variant, raising concerns amid a surge in cases of the infectious disease in Europe. The variant, known as B.1.X or B.1.640, was detected in October in Bannalec and Finistere, news agency IANS reported.
It was discovered after 24 people, including 18 students, were infected at a school in the Brittany region. The school where the outbreak occurred was forced to close 50 per cent of its classes, according to Le Telegramme.
The outbreak is now under control with no new infections found in France since October 26, the French regional health agency said. However, the variant remains under surveillance.
Few cases of this variant have also been discovered in the UK, Switzerland, Scotland and Italy, although the Delta variant continues to be the most dominant strains in these regions. The UK’s health security agency has classified iB.1.640 as a variant under monitoring.
