New coronavirus variant ‘Mu’ detected

ISLAMABAD: A new coronavirus strain has been added to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) watchlist. The Mu strain, also called B.1.621, has been listed as a ‘variant of interest’ as of 30 August, 2021.

There have been 48 cases of the Mu strain in the UK, with two cases occurring in the week leading up to 25 August 2021, foreign media reported. The strain shares mutations with variants of concern, including the Delta variant which is currently dominating in the UK and USA.

However, it is not yet known whether Mu will be able to evade the protection of coronavirus vaccines. The Mu variant was first documented in Colombia, in January 2021. There, it has been responsible for 852 cases, according to the GISAID COVID tracking initiative. According to data from GISAID, the strain has been detected in at least 40 countries and in 49 states across the USA.