The Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday confirmed the presence of the Mu variant in the Dominican territory, and although it is within the group classified as “of interest” by the World Health Organization (WHO), its characteristics are outlined. with similarities to beta (first identified in South Africa), which is within the “concern” variants.
The relationship between these mutations is covered in the 55th edition of the WHO weekly COVID-19 epidemiological report, published on 31 August.
“Preliminary data presented to the virus evolution working group show a reduction in the ability to neutralize convalescent and vaccinated sera similar to that observed for the Beta variant,” the WHO raises in the digital paper.
However, they noted that additional studies are still required for confirmation.
“There is still no solid evidence to support these observations, so we must continue to monitor from the outside,” they argue.
For its part, international media indicate that part of the concern generated by Mu comes from the mutations it carries.
Mu possesses the P681H mutation found in the Alpha variant and is related to faster transmission. Other mutations associated with it are E484K and K417N which can help the virus evade immune defenses.
The Mu variant was first identified in January on Colombian soil, where 29% of registered cases of virulent disease in that country respond to this mutation, according to a publication on the United Nations (UN) portal, entitled: ” Mu, the new variant of the coronavirus that was detected in Colombia. “
They have also indicated that Mu, also known as B.1621, is circulating in 39 countries, including Ecuador, the United Kingdom, the United States and Hong Kong.
At the moment, the transmissibility of the new variant is being investigated by scientists, as is its behavior in relation to the effectiveness of vaccines.
In the case of the Dominican Republic, the Public Health authorities explained that B.1.621 was detected on May 10, although after that date no further cases have been identified.
The director of Epidemiology, Dr. Ronald Skewes, said they sent samples to Brazil to see if it was still circulating in the country.
Skewes revealed that the Mu was detected in the provinces of Santo Domingo, Barahona, Bahoruco, Azua and La Vega.