WHO to monitor new COVID-19 variant B.1.621 or 'Mu' for vaccine resistance

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New Delhi: Amid emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is monitoring the new strain-- Mu -- which has been classified as a variant of interest (VOI) for vaccine resistance. 

As per IANS report, the COVID-19 strain B.1.621 or ‘Mu’ was first detected in Colombia in January 2021. Many COVID-19 samples in South America and Europe were found infected with Mu variant since then. On August 30, 2021, B.1.621 was labelled as a variant of interest, and WHO termed it 'Mu'. 

"The Mu variant has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape. Preliminary data presented to the Virus Evolution Working Group show a reduction in neutralisation capacity of convalescent and vaccine sera similar to that seen for the Beta variant, but this needs to be confirmed by further studies," the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update on Tuesday (August 31). 

The UN health agency said that even though the global prevalence of the Mu variant among sequenced cases has declined below 0.1 per cent currently, in Colombia (39 per cent) and Ecuador 13 per cent) this new COVID-19 variant’s prevalence has consistently increased. 

"The epidemiology of the Mu variant in South America, particularly with the co-circulation of the Delta variant, will be monitored for changes," WHO said. 

According to the WHO, Mu variant has several mutations which means it could be more resistant to vaccines, similar to Beta coronavirus variant. 

Till August 29, over 4,500 sequences (3,794 sequences of B.1.621 and 856 sequences of B.1.621.1) have been uploaded to open-access database GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data) from 39 countries.

Several COVID-19 variants have been detected in the world so far, with the deadly Delta variant wreaking havoc in India during the second wave. Presently, there are four variants of concern as deemed by the WHO including Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants., IANS reported.  

(With IANS inputs)