By – Khan Ahmad Darvesh
The World Health Organization said it is monitoring a new variant of the coronavirus called “Mu,” which was first discovered in Colombia in January. The global health agency stated in its weekly pandemic bulletin Tuesday that Mu, scientifically known as B.1.621, has been classified as a “variant of interest.”
WHO stated that the mutation of this variant indicates the risk of resistance to the vaccine and emphasized the need for further research to better understand it.
“The Mu variant has a series of mutations, indicating the potential for immune escape,” the ad read.
As the global infection rate has increased again, the emergence of new virus mutations has attracted widespread attention. The highly disseminated Delta variant is especially prevalent in areas that have not been vaccinated and antiviral measures have not been relaxed.
All viruses, including SARSCoV2, which caused Covid19, will mutate over time, and most mutations have little or no impact on the characteristics of the virus.
But certain mutations can affect the characteristics of the virus, and affect how easily it spreads, the severity of the disease it causes, and its resistance to vaccines, drugs, and other countermeasures.
WHO has currently identified four Covid19 variants of interest, including Alpha in 193 countries and Delta in 170 countries.
5 variants should be monitored, including Mu.
After Mu was detected in Colombia, Mu has been reported in other countries in South America and Europe.
WHO stated that among the sorted cases, its global prevalence has dropped to less than 0.1%. However, in Colombia, this percentage is 39%.
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