New ‘mu’ COVID-19 variant is in 49 states

Since being discovered in Colombia in January, the mu variant of COVID-19 has spread to nearly four dozen countries and has made its presence known in Hawaii and Alaska. It has so far been found in 49 states. Nebraska is the only state to not have a mu case detected.

Health officials believe mu is even more transmissible than the delta variant and has the potential to resist vaccines.

In the U.S., the mu variant has been detected in 49 states and the District of Columbia, according to Newsweek. California has reported the highest number of the latest variant with 384. A total of 167 of those cases were found in Los Angeles County.

On Aug. 30, the World Health Organization called the mu variant a variant of interest due to its ability to be more transmissible than any of the other strains of COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet made similar classifications about mu in the U.S.

The U.S. saw its peak of mu variant cases in midJuly but case numbers involving that variant have been declining since, signaling either a weakening of the strain or indicating a worrisome future.