WHO flags new variant 1st seen in Colombia
GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that it is monitoring a new coronavirus variant known as “Mu”, which was first identified in Colombia in January. Scientifically known as B.1.621, it has been classified as a “variant of interest”, the global health body disclosed on Tuesday in its weekly pandemic bulletin.
The WHO said the variant has mutations that indicate a risk of resistance to vaccines and stressed that further studies were needed to better understand it. “The Mu variant has a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape,” the bulletin said.
Surge peaks in US
Hospital admissions of patients in the US are declining for the first time since late June, a sign that the latest surge may have peaked - at least for now.
The seven-day average of new daily admissions with confirmed Covid-19 fell 2.4% from a week earlier to 12,280, the first such drop since June 27, according to the US department of health and human services.
Meanwhile, Moderna and its Japanese distributor Takeda said two deaths in recently-vaccinated men were not related to the biotech’s anti-Covid shot and are considered coincidental. A formal investigation is still needed to confirm the analysis, Takeda said.
Vaccines recalled
Both also said that they are working with Japanese authorities to recall three batches of the vaccine after an investigation found stainless steel contaminants in some vials. Authorities had last week suspended the use of these batches of Moderna shots, totalling 1.63mn doses, after being notified of the contamination issue.
Japan’s health ministry said, based on information from the companies’ investigation, that it did not believe the particles of stainless steel pose any additional health risk. Moderna said the stainless steel contamination probably occurred during production.
Elsewhere, over 70% of Italians are fully vaccinated, officials said, while Spain is on course to reach that goal this week.