The Mu Covid-19 Variant May Evade the Vaccines

Although it accounts for less than 1% of total cases in the United States, the Mu Covid-19 variation, which some scientists fear may resist immunizations, has been discovered in the great majority of states in the United States. On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the Mu strain as a variation of interest, the fifth classification. Officials are concerned about the interpretation because of its mutations, which suggests it may resist immunizations.

While instances are rare, the WHO warned in a report that they are steadily growing in Colombia and Ecuador, where they originated. In addition, according to Outbreak.info, an open-source database from Scripps Research, all but three states in the United States—Nebraska, Vermont, and South Dakota—have reported instances of the Mu strain. It was most common in Alaska, where it was found in roughly 4% of nearly 4,000 samples.

Ten or fewer instances in fifteen state: Maine, New Hampshire, West Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, Montana, and Oklahoma. There have been between 11 and 50 occurrences in 24 states, with 100 cases in four states (New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Washington).

According to Outbreak.info, just one state, Florida, has had between 100 and 200 cases, with California having the most with 289 cases. According to the WHO, the Mu variety has been identified in “a few sporadic reports” since its discovery in January. While the features of the variant’s mutations suggest that it could infect persons who have natural Covid-19 immunity or have been vaccinated against the virus, more research is needed to validate this.