<Anchor> In



addition to the delta mutation, which is the main culprit of the current 4th pandemic, there is another worrying mutation. It is a 'mu mutation' from South America. A study from Japan showed that this mu mutation could significantly reduce the effectiveness of vaccine antibodies.



This is Tokyo correspondent Yoo Seong-jae.



<Reporter> The



'mu mutation', which the World Health Organization (WHO) classified as a mutation of interest last month, was first reported in Colombia in January and has spread to more than 40 countries.



So far, 2 cases have been confirmed in Japan and 3 cases have been imported from Korea, and the Japanese research team said that this mu mutation was found to lower the body's antibody resistance caused by vaccination.



As a result of an experiment at the University of Tokyo Medical Sciences Research Center, both those who received the Pfizer vaccine and those who recovered from Corona showed that the resistance of neutralizing antibodies in the blood to the Mu mutation was less than one-seventh that of the existing virus.



Neutralizing antibodies play a role in fighting viruses in our body, which means that the antibodies do not do their job when infected with the mu mutation rather than the delta mutation, which is considered the main culprit of corona re-spreading.



However, the research team explained in an interview with SBS that it should not lead to distrust of the vaccine.



[Sato/Associate Professor, University of Tokyo Medical Sciences Research Institute: This is the resistance of the antibodies in the blood, and considering cellular immunity and other antibodies, it does not mean that the vaccine is ineffective.]



In Japan, the number of seriously ill patients continues to exceed 2,000 as delta mutations are rampant.



The Japanese government has extended the Corona emergency for 19 metropolitan governments including Tokyo, which was originally until the 12th, until the end of this month.



(Video coverage: Han Chul-min) 



▶ What is the additional vaccination vaccine? Conventional vs. mutation customized


▶ 2,000 people on the second day… Increased school attendance and increased student infections