ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The Mu variant of the coronavirus was detected in the Altamonte Springs sewer service area, according to city manager Franklin W. Martz, II.
Martz said a low concentration of the virus was detected in the service area.
“This past Monday we found the first detection of the Mu variant in the sewage,” Martz said.
The area stretches up through Longwood and includes parts of Seminole County, Winter Park, Maitland, Eatonville and Altamonte Springs, according to city officials.
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City officials said they ran tests again on Thursday and should have more information on Monday. Typically, the sewers are tested twice per week from Sunday into Monday and Wednesday into Thursday, according to officials.
The city has been testing sewage for COVID since April 2020. Martz said they use the results as a predictor to show COVID transmission in the community.
“We actually know what’s in our community, which is a great benefit,” Martz said. “It allows the hospitals to staff, allows them to know what’s coming.”
“The importance of testing sewage for COVID is that we can detected the virus BEFORE people who are infected show symptoms. We share that information with local hospitals, and local, state, and federal agencies,” Martz said in an email to News 6.
Martz said they are seeing an increase in COVID in the sewage, but it’s not as high as it was during the height of the Delta variant surge.
The Mu variant is currently being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Michael Teng, a virologist and professor at USF Health, said while the Mu variant is popping up in the United States, the Delta variant continues to dominate.
“Mu doesn’t compete well against Delta,” Teng said. “I think Mu is there, but Delta is such a more important variant. This is the one that spreads faster, it grows more, and it seems to be associated with more hospitalizations, more infections.”
The CDC said at this time, the Mu variant does not pose a significant and imminent risk to public health in the U.S.
Martz adds he’s not too concerned about finding the Mu variant in the sewage. He adds they’re running more tests and will continue to monitor the results.
“We are just watchfully interested and if we see this over time, obviously that will be a more significant concern,” Martz said..