The variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus are multiplying: after the alpha (or “British”) variant, the beta variant (identified in South Africa), the gamma variant (having emerged in Brazil) or the delta variant (now majority in France), now a new threat begins to appear in France: the Mu variant.
Until now classified in the category of “variants under evaluation” (VUM) by the World Health Organization (WHO), it has passed into the category “variant to follow“on the night of Tuesday, August 31. The WHO specifies that the variant has mutations that could indicate a risk of “immune escape“, ie resistance to vaccines, and stresses that further studies are needed to better understand its characteristics.
Its scientific name is VUM 21H (B.1.621): this variant carries the genetic mutations N501Y, P681H and E484K. It was first identified in Colombia in January 2021.
Mu variant could resist antibodies
Colombian variant: should we fear it? At present, the Colombian variant has only been detected “sporadic“in France, according to a recent report published by Public Health France. As of August 25, 2021, it has only been identified 105 times; its prevalence rate is only 0.3%, or even less, depending on the Flash surveys (# 14, # 15 and # 16). “It was not detected during Flash # 18 and # 19”, underlines Public Health France. The regions in which this variant is most frequently detected are Île de France and Occitanie.
In Europe, the Mu variant has also been detected in Spain and the United Kingdom. In August 2021, 7 people died in a retirement home located in Zaventem (Belgium) after being infected with the Colombian variant.
“It does not appear to exhibit any characteristics giving it a competitive advantage over Delta, but needs careful monitoring due to its mutation profile and recent preliminary experimental data from the UK,” which suggest immune evasion properties similar to those of VOC Beta “, further indicate the health authorities.
What is the difference between a “to watch” variant and a “worrying” variant?
The category “variant of interest” (VOI) or “variants to follow“is used for variants whose impact on public health has not been formally demonstrated, but whose” virological, clinical and / or epidemiological characteristics “justify this classification.
The classification in the category of “worrying” variants, means that there is a demonstrated impact on public health (higher transmissibility, severity of infection or immune escape). The Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta variants are part of it. Also read our article What is a variant?
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