The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday (Sept. 1) reported that it is monitoring a new COVID-19 variant called the Mu variant that was first detected in January 2021 in Colombia.
The WHO classified the Mu variant as a variant of interest (VOI). Its transmissibility will be closely monitored. According to the organization, the Mu variant has mutations that can contain “immune escape” and “vaccine resistance.”
Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau fellow Dr. Alethea de Guzman said the variant cases are mostly recorded in South America and Europe. The Mu variant was only detected in the 0.1% of the sequenced samples worldwide.
Dr. de Guzman added that the number of Mu variant cases is increasing in Colombia and Ecuador.
In relation to this, the WHO is also monitoring the C.1.2 variant that was first detected in South Africa and now found in seven more countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
The organization said it is currently being studied. According to the experts, it has a spike protein similar to the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma variant.
“We are looking at it closely, but at this point of time, we don’t have information to classify it either as a variant of interest or as a variant of concern,” WHO Country Representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said.
Meanwhile, National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. is eyeing the possible vaccination of the general population, including children with comorbidities, in October.
“We are proposing that by October mag-general population na tayo, at we are proposing na lalo na ‘yung mga vulnerable children na may comorbidities, io-open na natin by October because we believe by October, meron na tayong enough supply,” he said.
Report from Mark Fetalco/NGS- jlo
