The 'mu' COVID-19 variant was first detected in Colombia last January, and since then, it has quickly spread to almost 50 states in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Out of the states that have been reported to have COVID-19 'mu' cases, only Nebraska has been confirmed to be negative from this new variant, at least for now.
Experts believe that this new variant is even more contagious compared to the Delta variant. But above all, what makes 'mu' more lethal is that it has the potential to resist vaccines.
"The identification of variants like mu, and the spreading of variants across the globe, highlights the need for L.A. County residents to continue to take measures to protect themselves and others," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Public Health, said in quotes by Daily News.
Of all the states that were infected with the 'mu' variant, California had the highest number of infected citizens with 384 cases, according to the latest report. Health officials added that a total of 167 of those cases were found in Los Angeles County.
By announcing these data to the public, Ferrer also took the opportunity to remind people of the importance of getting fully inoculated to combat the rising cases of the virus.
She also said that immunization and following standard health protocols could "break the chain" of the ongoing situation and finally put an end to the disease's mutations.
On August 30, the World Health Organization officially acknowledged the threat of the COVID-19 'mu' variant because of its high transmissible rate compared with other variants.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, has warned the public about the threats of the new strain.
Faucci said that he and other top health officials are closely observing the 'mu' cases all over the U.S. to create a new recommendation for the government that could help stop the new variant from spreading.
Even if the new variant proves to reduce the effectiveness of vaccines in laboratories, Fauci said the immunization will still provide a lot of help in terms of cutting the number of infections, hospitalizations and fatalities.
