Mo variant, the new COVID mutation

The World Health Organisation has announced the mutation of a new version of the coronavirus, a new variable under the name "Mo" that was reportedly first detected in January in Colombia, according to the Bulletin Epidemiologique seminar.

According to The Guardian, "the extent of the threat posed by the mutant (Mo) is highly uncertain, and depends on whether cases will increase significantly in the coming weeks and months, especially in the presence of the mutant (Delta).

At the moment, public health officials and scientists are still conducting studies on whether this mutant is more contagious or whether it can cause serious illnesses that surpass those caused by the delta mutant.

The report's initial findings state that at present there is "no evidence" that the "Mo" variant is more contagious than the "Delta" variant, and warns that the risks of "immune escape", i.e. vaccine resistance, in this mutant may contribute to future disease.

However, according to The Guardian, part of the concern about the new variant is that it has the ability to mutate the "P681H" genetic change previously discovered in the "alpha" mutant, which has been linked to rapid transmission of infections.

So far, Mo's symptoms are the same as those that have developed in other variants: fever, dry cough and fatigue. To these are added loss of taste and smell, nasal congestion, headache and muscle pain.

As soon as the new variant appeared, experts began to test its response to vaccines worldwide. In the case of Pfizer, scientists claim that the antibodies produced by the vaccine were able to neutralise the variant. However, although the neutralisation was effective, they indicate that it was weaker.

Similarly, the WHO has confirmed that the new mutant has mutations that may lead to a risk of "immune escape", which highlights the need for a scientific study to better understand its characteristics.