Will the "Mu" mutation prevail over the "Delta" mutation? What does Dr. say? Everything

Will the "Mu" mutation prevail over the "Delta" mutation? What does Dr. say? Everything

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The new "Mu" mutation, although it has been detected for several months in areas, mainly in South America, does not show -at least yet- a tendency to prevail over the "Delta" mutation, said to KYPE the Lecturer of Pediatrics at the European University of Cyprus and member of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health, Zoe Dorothea Pana, who stated that for the time being this is reassuring, however, we should not be completely complacent.

According to Ms. Pana, this mutation concerns the scientific community, because it seems that to some extent - probably not dangerous - it also affects the effectiveness of vaccines, emphasizing that in no case does the scientific community want the "Mu" mutation to prevail. with a significant percentage of cases, which will carry mutations that will affect the effectiveness of vaccination in the next period.

Invited by the Cyprus News Agency to comment on the strong concern sparked by the new "Mu" coronavirus mutation, which was first identified in Colombia and has been detected in Europe and the United States, Ms. Pana said that "Mu" has been described as a mutation of interest rather than concern, to note that there are reasons why we attribute these mutations, which occur and will occur in the future, based on the severity and concern they cause, in relation to transmissibility and pathogenicity.

He explained that "what we know and it's important so far is that for Europe and therefore for the Republic of Cyprus, almost 100% of the samples sent for sequencing, ie for detection of mutations, relate to the Delta mutation, even now."

"Specifically," he added, "and according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), even Alpha, which is the previous mutation in the UK, is currently at 0,3%. So we continue to have a clear predominance of the Delta mutation. "

Answering a relevant question, Ms. Pana said that cases and cases of the "Mu" mutation have been reported worldwide, mainly in the South American region, noting that from the European side isolated cases have been recorded in Spain and some other countries, including of Greece.

He described as "auspicious" the fact that "while this mutation has been detected for several months in areas mainly in South America, at least there still does not seem to be a tendency to prevail over the Delta."

"This is reassuring at the moment, but it should not completely reassure us because we can see dynamic changes in existing mutations, but also see changes in the landscape of what prevails in the Old Continent and in Cyprus. "We say this because, in practice, this mutation concerns the scientific community to some extent, because it seems that to some extent - probably not dangerous - it also affects the effectiveness of vaccines," he said.

Asked what changes are found in this mutation, Ms. Pana replied that "the genetic changes of this mutation have been identified, but as with all mutations, some time is needed for further study in practice, ie clinically how it affects transmissibility ".

Asked if this mutation might affect the effectiveness of vaccines, he replied: "It does not matter so much what we believe and what we predict as individuals and based on the experience we have. "For me, as a scientist, it is more valuable and important to listen to what is happening and what the big organizations are telling us - without being imitators."

He said that in the field of vaccination, the scientific team will start to worry first when it sees that the number of cases is increasing in relation to the "Delta" mutation (prevalence trend) and secondly when it has a better idea of ​​what it means and how it can affect percentages of the vaccination piece.

Certainly, he noted, "both what we are told and what we know about all pandemics is that there is no chance that the coronavirus will not evolve," because it is a type of RNA virus, like the flu, that has the potential to it does. It may be Mu now, it may be some more after a while. "

He stressed that "the recommendations and the pressure is to achieve high vaccination immediately in all areas from those who can be vaccinated, except for the high vaccination coverage in the general population, where Cyprus has achieved its goal, because we are approaching 80%.

However, he said that "it is equally important to achieve high vaccination coverage in individual areas, such as closed structures, schools, universities, etc."

"If this is not done - and this is not science, it makes sense - it will allow the virus to be recycled locally and, given the declining immunity of time product and the vulnerable immunocompromised elderly in the community, we see virtually no only revivals in the community, which to a certain extent we can accept, but also an increase in hospitalizations, which we can not accept ".

He went on to say that "with these data, our vaccines continue to be very effective - especially mRNAs - in protecting against disease and hospitalization regardless of age, to note that" the common goal is to protect our population in Cyprus Democracy for the Autumn and the winter that is coming in all places to build a wall for the virus and the possible mutations that may come ".

He warned that "under no circumstances do we want to see the pandemic next year become a pandemic of the unvaccinated and serious disease in groups that we do not want to see", adding that we are a single community, the enemy is and will be the coronavirus and the "Weapons to manage mutations and pandemics in general until the final recession are vaccination and adherence to health protocols and protection measures, especially in the phases when we will see an outbreak."