Worrying new MU µ COVID variant found in 48 states but mostly FL is being carefully watched.

A scary new COVID variant known as the Mu (Greek letter µ) has emerged from Columbia and has been found in nearly 50 people resident in the UK. The official designation by the WHO, which designated it a “variant of interest” August 30, is B.1.621

Not much is known yet, including whether it spreads easily, or even if the current vaccines are effective against it.

Although there are only about 900 cases reported, it is found in 40 countries and virtually every U.S. state according to the GISAID tracking information.

https://www.gisaid.org/hcov19-variants/ (be patient, slow loading)

Mainly in France, Spain, and, of course, Florida.

An early test in Italy found that the Pfizer vaccine antibodies ARE effective against µ.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.27247

HOWEVER, a study published in The Lancet shows otherwise because the spikes are different enough to evade current vaccines.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00482-5/fulltext

µ causes high fevers and continuous coughs.

UK total distribution

Variant*	Other names by which this variant may be known**	Lineage	Total confirmed (sequencing) and probable (genotyping) cases^	New cases since last update (data up to 18 August)
Alpha	VOC-20DEC-01	B.1.1.7	277,588	-322
Beta	VOC-20DEC-02	B.1.351	1,093	+1
Delta†	VOC-21APR-02	B.1.617.2 AY.1 AY. 2	535,387†	+49,960
VOC-21FEB-02	VOC-21FEB-02	B.1.1.7 with E484K	46	0
Gamma	VOC-21JAN-02	P.1	272	+7
Kappa	VUI-21APR-01	B.1.617.1	494	-1
VUI-21APR-03	N/A	B.1.617.3	16	0
VUI-21FEB-01	VUI-21FEB-01	A.23.1 with E484K	79	0
Eta	VUI-21FEB-03	B.1.525 (previously designated UK1188)	497	+2
VUI-21FEB-04	VUI-21FEB-04	B.1.1.318	358	+1
Zeta	VUI-21JAN-01	P.2	60	0
Theta	VUI-21MAR-02	P.3	10	0
VUI-21MAY-01	N/A	AV.1	185	0
VUI-21MAY-02	N/A	C.36.3	153	0
Lambda	VUI-21JUN-01	C.37	8	0
VUI-21JUL-01	N/A	B.1.621	48	+2

*Information pertaining to VUI-21MAR-01, B1.324.1 with E484K 

has been removed as this variant has been reclassified as provisionally extinct.