In its updated list of COVID19 variants released on August 30, the World Health Organization included the Mu variant (pronounced as mew) of SARS-CoV-2 as a variant of interest. WHO also informed that the Mu variant is presently limited to the South America continent but is becoming increasing prevalent in Colombia and Ecuador.

The global health agency warned that initial assessment of the variant has shown signs being more resistant to COVID19 vaccines.

“While the global prevalence of Mu among sequenced COVID-19 cases is below 0.1%, its prevalence has ‘consistently increased’ in Colombia and Ecuador, where it is now responsible for around 39% and 13% of infections, respectively,” a United Nations news piece stated.

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The WHO also said that it would be monitoring “the epidemiology of the Mu variant in South America, particularly with the co-circulation of the Delta variant…for (genetic) changes”

Origin, global prevalence of Mu variant

The technical term to denote the variant is B.1.621. The variant was first identified in Colombia (South America) in January, this year.

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Also, the variant has been reported in the United Kingdom with at least 32 cases identified and some cases (number not specified) have been reported in the United States of America and Hong Kong as well. In July, the Mu variant was added to Public Health England’s list of variants under investigation.

In total, a total of 45 countries across the world have reported the incidence of the Mu variant in the genome sequence of COVID19 infections.

Less infectious than Delta variant

According to a report published by the National Geographic on September 10, early studies suggest that the Mu variant is less easily transmitted than the Delta variant which is on the course to become the world’s most dominant COVID19 strain.

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Although the WHO has classified the variant as a variant of interest, which is a level below the most serious classification (variant of concern), it has many known mutations (modifications in genetic structure) that can help the coronavirus escape immunity from vaccines or a previous infection.

Anthony Fauci, the Chief Medical Advisor the American President Joe Biden, said in a press briefing that the variant has a ‘constellation of mutations that suggests that it would evade certain antibodies—not only monoclonal antibodies, but vaccine and convalescent serum-induced antibodies’.

“But there isn’t a lot of clinical data to suggest that. It is mostly laboratory data,” said Fauci.

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“We’re keeping a very close eye on it. It is rarely seen here, but it is not at all even close to being dominant. As you know, the Delta is more than 99 percent dominant,” he added.

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