No Mu variant detected in Philippines so far — genome center
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has not yet detected the presence of the new coronavirus variant known as “Mu,” the country’s genome center said on Friday.
“We went back to our database, we have sequenced more than 12,000 [samples]…We have not yet detected Mu variant in the Philippines,” Philippine Genome Center Executive Director Cynthia Saloma said in a briefing.
“But we are always on standby and we are continuing our monitoring of the entry of these variants in our borders,” Saloma added.
On Tuesday, Mu—also known by scientists as B.1.621—was added to the World Health Organization’s list of variants of interest.
The UN health agency said the variant, which was first identified in Colombia, has a “constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape.” Further studies are needed to better understand it, WHO also said.
All viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19, mutate over time. Most changes have little or no effect on the properties of the virus, but certain mutations can change how easily a virus spreads, the severity of the disease it causes, or its resistance to drugs and vaccines.
There are four coronavirus variants of concern: Alpha, Beta, Gamma and the hyper contagious Delta, which is driving the surge in infections in the Philippines. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with report from Agence France-Presse
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