The coronavirus continues to create havoc across the world, mutating and giving rise to new and high contagious variants. And now it’s the “Mu” variant, which was first identified in Columbia in January 2021.
The Mu strain has already affected at least 39 countries, including the United States.
Last week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced that the Mu variant was found in 167 samples from June 19 through August 21, according to Forbes.
However, we do not have enough data to know about this new variant. On August 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) placed the Mu strain on its Variants of Interest (VOI) list.
The new strain only accounts for less than 1% of all COVID-19 samples that have been sequenced in the U.S., prompting that it had entered the nation by the start of summer.
One this is clear that the virus is spreading and mutating, giving rise to more variants that are highly contagious; for instance, the Delta variant, which was first identified in India.
Countries that fail to contain the spread of the virus will continue to help this happen, according to Forbes, Therefore, we should expect more variants to emerge in the near future.
These highly contagious variants are a gentle reminder to us that we still need to continue wearing masks and maintain social distancing.
Last week, the Los County Department of Public Health reported 2,673 new cases and 37 deaths related to COVID. Unfortunately, vaccination rates are still low in most parts of the country, allowing COVID to spread.
In California, less than 60% of people are fully vaccinated, even though vaccination rates in California have been higher than those in many parts of the country, according to Forbes.
More importantly, this is not the right time for premature relaxation of COVID-19 precautions. Easing restrictions prematurely can give rise to more serious situations. Meanwhile, experts urge people who are not yet vaccinated to get their shots immediately.
