Texas hospital reports 1st case of lambda variant COVID-19

A large Texas hospital system has reported its first case of the lambda COVID-19 variant, as the state moves away from the creeping delta variant.

The Houston Methodist Hospital, which operates eight hospitals in its network, said the first lambda case was confirmed on Monday.

The lambda variant was first detected in Peru in December 2020, according to the World Health Organization and accounts for 81% of COVID-19 cases sequenced in the country since April 2021, according to a WHO report by June. Currently, the WHO designates lambda as a “variant of interest”.

Houston Methodist had just over 100 COVID-19 patients through the hospital system last week. That number rose to 185 on Monday, with the majority of those infected not being vaccinated, according to a statement released by the hospital on Monday.

Of those infections, about 85% were diagnosed with the delta variant, hospital officials said.

“We are seeing an alarming increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Houston area, with the largest increase occurring over the weekend,” Houston Methodist said. “The increase in hospitalizations is adding stress to many of our hospitals as they approach capacity.”

The hospital’s president and CEO, Dr Marc Boom, stressed that it was “imperative” that the community “get vaccinated and reduce the spread of the virus”.

Despite the Lambda Variant Report, Houston Methodist Experts Say Delta is Still Top Concern in U.S.

“Lambda is the dominant variant in Peru and Peru has had a very difficult time with COVID-19. It shares mutations in common with alpha, beta, gamma variants, which is the dominant variant in Brazil,” Dr Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist, told ABC News.

“I don’t think there is enough evidence at this point that we should be more concerned with lambda than delta, I still think delta is the main concern for us. There is a lot more evidence. that we have that the delta is much more contagious, the viral loads are much higher, “he added.

The lambda variant “has been associated with substantial rates of community transmission in several countries, with increasing prevalence over time alongside an increased incidence of COVID-19,” the WHO said in its June report. As of June, the variant was detected in 29 countries.

The delta variant, which was first detected in India in December, now accounts for around 83% of all sequenced COVID-19 cases in the United States, Rochelle Walensky, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Tuesday. , during a Senate hearing. WHO designates delta as a “variant of concern”.

Long noted that the Houston Methodist has seen its positivity rate increase and hospitalizations increase, but the situation on the ground is still “well below” the winter peak.

“[Infections are] increasing. How many more cases are we going to have? “Said Long.” We are going to need more people to get vaccinated and people who are not particularly vaccinated to practice all the safe practices that we have. learned during the pandemic to help slow the spread of COVID. All of these are critically important to keeping this delta wave under control. “

Currently, 51% of the state’s population of Texas aged 12 and older is fully vaccinated, according to state data.