Three Cases of New 'Mu' Variant Confirmed Domestically... Travelers from Mexico, USA, and Colombia (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The new COVID-19 variant 'Mu' has been confirmed for the first time in South Korea.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters stated at the regular COVID-19 briefing on the 3rd, "So far, three cases of Mu variant imported from overseas have been confirmed in the country," adding, "The cases involve entrants from Mexico, the United States, and Colombia."

The entry dates by country are May for Mexico, June for the United States, and July for Colombia.

The Mu variant was first detected in Colombia in January this year and has been identified in more than 40 countries worldwide, including Peru, Chile, and the United States. Although the global incidence rate is decreasing and detected at less than 0.1%, the number of patients continues to increase in Colombia and Ecuador.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in its weekly COVID-19 report on the 31st of last month (local time) that the variant virus 'B.1.621', first reported in Colombia in January, has been named the Mu variant and designated as a 'variant of interest.'

The health authorities stated, "We will strengthen monitoring of new variant viruses, including the Mu variant, and continue to manage overseas entrants."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.