Mu variant with risk of Covid-19 vaccine resistance has spread to 43 countries
The Mu variant being closely monitored by the WHO has spread to 43 countries around the world, amid concerns that it could be resistant to Covid-19 vaccines.
AFP quoted Colombian health official Marcela Mercado as saying on September 2,Mu variantfirst detected in the South American country in January, is now the dominant strain in Colombia and is behind the country's deadliest outbreak.
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| The Mu variant caused a serious outbreak in Colombia in mid-year (Photo: AFP). |
“It has appeared in more than 43 countries and shows high transmissibility,” Ms. Mercado warned.
On August 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Mu, scientifically known as B1621, is a "variant of concern." WHO warned that Mu has the risk of becoming resistant to vaccines and that further research will be needed to understand this strain.
"The Mu variant has a series of mutations that suggest it may have the ability to evade immunity," the WHO said.
Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, mutate over time, and most changes have little effect on the characteristics of the pathogen. However, certain mutations may affect the virus’s ability to spread, the severity of the disease it causes, or its ability to resist drugs or vaccines.
WHO has now declared four variants as "worrying", including Alpha (which has appeared in 193 countries) and Delta (in 170 countries)./.
