WHO monitoring new coronavirus variant named Mu

The World Health Organization has added another version of coronavirus to its list of “variants of interest” amid concern, Report informs, citing the foreign press.

It may partially evade the immunity people have developed from past infection or vaccination.

The Mu variant, also known as B.1.621, was added to the WHO’s watchlist on 30 August after it was detected in 39 countries and found to possess a cluster of mutations that may make it less susceptible to the immune protection many have acquired.

According to the WHO’s weekly bulletin on the pandemic, the Mu variant “has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape.” Preliminary data suggests it may evade immune defenses similar to the Beta variant first discovered in South Africa.

The Mu variant was first identified in Colombia in January 2021. Since then, sporadic cases and some more significant outbreaks have been recorded around the world. Beyond South America, cases have been reported in the UK, Europe, the US, and Hong Kong. While the variant makes up less than 0.1% of Covid infections globally, it may be gaining ground in Colombia and Ecuador, accounting for 39% and 13% of Covid cases, respectively.