The new COVID-19 Variant “Mu” and vaccinations
As short and sweet as it sounds, the latest COVID variant Mu(μ) isn’t looking too good. The variant is still being researched, but the biggest concern about it is it’s showing resistance to the vaccine. The virus was first discovered in Colombia in January 2021. It’s a fairly new variant that isn’t prevalent (more on that later), so not much study has been done on it. From the lab studies that have come, the variant has roughly the same amount of mutations as the other variants such as Alpha, Beta, and the notorious Delta. Of those mutations, some that are of particular interest are the ones that help evade antibodies, both naturally made and from a vaccine. So should we be worried about this variant? Well, let’s rewind to that time when the delta variant was still new to us and not too concerning. The delta variant was first discovered in India in late 2020. At the time, WHO hadn’t begun to name the variants (more info on them here) by the Greek alphabet, so it was called the variant from India at the time. It was soon found to have 2 significant mutations, and was called the “double-mutant” variant (by the media especially)! By March 2021, India was already dealing with its worst COVID wave. The millions and millions of cases popping up had health officials suspicious of this variant, but ultimately, it wasn’t understood well enough. It was constantly dismissed as not being a concerning variant until evidence showed that it was more transmissible. By then, flights were still going out from Delhi and cases around the globe rose once again. It was finally accepted to be more dangerous, but it was too late to warn as it had already become the dominant strain pretty much everywhere. Many of the waves (I’ve lost count) happening around the world are fueled by the same variant. Are we underestimating the Mu variant in the same manner?
The most pressing concern about the Mu variant is that it’s vaccine-resistant. Vaccine rollouts were underway around the same time the delta variant was rapidly spreading. So even though it was more transmissible, it was nowhere near resistant to the vaccines. This has helped keep hospitalizations and deaths down for the vaccinated in recent months. However, if this virus keeps on getting the chance to mutate into a new forms, a variant that is resistant to the vaccines currently in place will eventually come to fruition. Is the Mu variant the one? If so, that would mean hospitalizations rising as the immune systems of those vaccinated fail too recognize the virus as the one they were prepared for. Fortunately, an entirely new vaccine from scratch will not have to be created. A moderate change to the mRNA vaccines currently circulating can help our bodies to adapt to this new variant. The problem is, people would have to get another shot of the now-modified vaccine. As you may know, hesitancy to get the vaccine has been a sticky issue in this pandemic. The people hesitant to take it either don’t trust the vaccine, or would rather just not be vaccinated. It’s a personal choice, but it comes at the cost of being more at risk of becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19. It also means the virus thrives among the unvaccinated and can evolve into more deadly variants. This brings us to the latest chapter to unfold in this pandemic: vaccine mandates. Around the world, countries are beginning to implement vaccine mandates in order to get more people vaccinated. What this means for those not wanting to get vaccinated is that some of the services and activities they have still been able to enjoy, they may not be allowed to anymore. Many governments are lifting restrictions at the same time, and are seeing this move as the best way to avoid imposing lockdowns again. Imposing a mandate means you are forcing someone to do something they may not like, and so you are bound to deal with resistance. In Canada, mass protests have been held in the provinces (particularly around hospitals) against vaccine mandates and passports. Among the protesters are vaccinated people as well, who are especially against the idea of forcing vaccinations in order to be employed. In the US, similar protests have been taking place, especially on social media. This is a decision that was meant to help stop the spread of the virus quickly. However, the decision has turned into an issue of rights and freedoms that will be need to be handled with care.
Undoubtedly, vaccinations and widespread immunity are the only way COVID-19 can become restrained. The Mu variant should still be considered a threat to the progress we’ve made because it could prove to be resistant to the vaccines and kick us back to square one. Vaccine mandates could speed up the number of vaccinations, but they will prompt severe backlash that could stall it. We’re in a race against time with this virus. We can only hope for the best.








