It's not just delta or even lambda anymore. Now we have mu.
The latest variant of the coronavirus has caught the attention of health officials worldwide and has several implications for the future of the pandemic. As each variant emerges, health experts have to go into overdrive to learn what exactly each has in store.
"This new variant, the mu variant, has already been detected in 39 countries, including the U.S. in all but three states," said Dr. Mark Cameron, immunologist and medical researcher at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, on Thursday's "Ask an Expert."
"What we don't know quite yet is what the potential impact would be in those affected," Cameron told KCBS Radio's Holly Quan and Dan Mitchinson.
Mu has a mixture of mutations, said Cameron. And that’s the concern, that the mixture will be able to surpass the protections provided by vaccines. It’s unclear if it's as spreadable as delta.
There are hundreds and hundreds of variants of the virus, so there is a lot of potential for new strains to emerge that could affect us. These mutations happen over time, he said. "As we get further and further away from the virus we knew a year ago, the ability of the virus as part of this growing family tree to pick up mutations that continue to surprise us."
There's a real need to get more information out to the public as the virus continues to mutate because the mutations are able to find loopholes in existing protections and safety procedures, he said.
To prevent the virus from spreading though, the vaccine is the number one step, according to Cameron. "We know how to start putting a lid on this pandemic."
In time, boosters will most likely be necessary for everyone, not just for those in high-risk groups, he added.
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