Mu COVID-19 variant has been identified in 49 states, with Nebraska being the only state where the mutation has not been discovered.
Mu COVID-19 variant detected in 49 states in the U.S.
Mu Variant Is Believed To Be More Transmissible
In a recently published article in MSN News, Mu variant, according to health authorities, is much more transmissible than the delta variant and may be resistant to vaccinations. The mu variant has been found in 49 states and the District of Columbia in the United States.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of LA County Public Health, said in a statement that the discovery of variants like Mu, as well as the spread of variants throughout the world, emphasizes the necessity for inhabitants of Los Angeles County to continue to take precautions to safeguard themselves and others.
Meanwhile, with 384 cases, California holds the record of garnering the highest number of the newest variant. In Los Angeles County, 167 of those instances were discovered. Dr. Ferrer said that this shows how important it is to be vaccinated as the vaccination can serve as layers of protection against COVID-19, according to a report published in the Seattle Times.
WHO Recognizes the New Strain as 'Variant of Interest'
The mu variant was recognized as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization on Aug. 30, owing to its potential to be more transmissible than any of the other COVID-19 strains. In the United States, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have yet to make comparable categories regarding Mu.
Despite being "not at all even near" to become the dominant COVID-19 strain in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stated that health authorities were keeping a "close watch" on the mu variant, according to a report published in Daily News.
Fauci added, "Even though it has not in essence taken hold to any extent here we always pay attention to at all times variants." The number of mu variant cases peaked in the United States in mid-July, but they've been decreasing since then, suggesting either a weakening of the strain or a bleak future.
Presence of Mu Variant Globally
In a published article in Republic World, the Mu variant COVID-19 is found in fewer than 0.5 percent of cases worldwide while the highly transmissible variant is seen in 40 percent of cases in Columbia. Health authorities think that the newly discovered variation Mu is much more infectious than the delta variant and may evade the COVID-19 vaccinations' immunological defenses.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, mutates throughout time; and most changes have little to no impact on the virus's characteristics. Certain mutations, on the other hand, may affect a virus's characteristics, such as how readily it spreads, the severity of the illness it causes, and its resistance to vaccinations, medicines, and other countermeasures.
In the bulletin of WHO, the agency stated, "The Mu variant has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape." Furthermore, they also added that there is a need for a further study about how the Mu variant behaves.
Related Article: New Mu COVID-19 Variant Begins To Spread in the US; Fauci Claims Strain is not "Immediate Threat" Right Now
