NATIONAL NEWS - The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) issued a statement yesterday (Monday 6 September) on a new Sars-CoV-2 variant that has been assigned the Greek name 'Mu' that has not yet been detected on the African continent.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 30 August classified the Mu variant (PANGO lineage B.1.621) as a variant of interest (VOI). It was first detected in Colombia in January 2021 and has since spread across North America, South America and Europe, with detections in Asia.
The NICD says up until 3 September no cases of the Mu variant have been detected on the African continent, including South Africa.
Currently it accounts for less than 1% of the globally circulating viruses with Delta accounting for 88%.
The Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA), which includes the NICD, continuously and rigorously monitors SARS-CoV-2 sequences circulating in South Africa for the early detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Mu, says the NICD.
The Mu variant is defined by the following mutations within the spike protein: T95I, Y144S, Y145N, 146N insertion, R346K, E484K, N501Y, D614G, P681H and D950N.
Many of these mutations (T95I, E484K, N501Y, D614G, P681H and D950) have been seen before in other VOIs or variants of concern (VOCs) including Beta and Delta.
"Some of these mutations have previously been associated with decreased antibody responses and increased transmissibility. This variant will likely therefore have similar properties to other variants with increased transmissibility and reduced sensitivity to antibodies in vaccines and those who have recovered from COVID-19," says the NICD.
However, both vaccines that are currently being rolled out in South Africa have high levels of protection against severe disease requiring hospitalization and death even against VOI/VOCs such as Beta and Delta and therefore will likely also protect against Mu.
"In addition to vaccination, we know that non-pharmaceutical interventions such as the wearing of masks, sanitizing and washing your hands, keeping a safe distance and avoiding crowds are effective at preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 regardless of the variant," says the NICD.
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