A human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) variant has been discovered in the Netherlands by researchers at Oxford University, who say the variant is highly infectious and more damaging than other HIV variants and can put individuals at risk of developing AIDS “much more rapidly.” HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, which can lead to AIDS if not treated. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 30.2–45.1 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2020, with over two thirds of them (25.4 million) in the WHO African Region. The newly discovered variant, named “VB” for virulent subtype B, showed significant differences compared with other HIV variants. Specifically, prior to antiretroviral treatment, people with the VB variant had a viral load (the level of the virus in the blood) of between 3.5 and 5.5 times higher. They also showed a higher risk of transmitting the virus to others. Furthermore, the rate …