Mu’s COVID variant was found in at least 50 patients at Houston Methodist Hospital, doctors confirm

HOUSTON – Doctors at Houston Methodist Hospital have discovered cases of a new variant of COVID-19 among patients who were being treated for the virus, the hospital confirmed Monday to KPRC 2.

The World Health Organization last week identified the “Mu” variant as a “variant of interest.”

Since the appointment, Houston Methodist physicians have confirmed cases of the Mu variant in approximately 50 patients.

“We had our first Mu case in May,” said Dr. Wesley Long, Houston Methodist’s medical director of diagnostic microbiology and clinical pathologist.

Long said doctors did not refer to these cases as the so-called “Mu” variant until the World Health Organization designated the variant as such last week.

“Once the WHO declared that this would be the Mu variant, we went to look and saw that we had had some cases here and there that went back to May,” Dr. Long said.

Researchers are still working to confirm the specific characteristics of Mu.

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On the one hand, early research, according to the WHO, shows mutations that can elude immunity provided by antibodies or vaccinations.

While this may be worrisome, Long said it is too early to say for sure.

“These initial studies are done in a laboratory. They’re being made on a Petri dish, ”Long said. “Research comes from labs, not from what can really be seen in real human cases. While they are worrisome, right now, Delta is still the main variant that we have to worry about. It’s 99% of what we’re seeing now. at Houston Methodist and we’ve been for many weeks, right now. ”

Dr. Long stressed that the Delta variant will remain the dominant variant in the foreseeable future. He also said the variants occur naturally. According to Long, the focus should be on COVID safeguards, which by now Houstonians should know well, including vaccines.