Lambda: Covid-19 variant detected in South America could be a global “concern”

A study in Porto Alegre, Brazil, led by research scientist Priscila Lamb Wink, warned that the Lambda variant (C.37), also known as the “Andean” because it originated in Peru, has the potential to be a variant of concern.

In collaboration with members of the Bacterial Resistance Research Laboratory, Wink analyzed a sample of this mutation from a Brazilian citizen who had previously been to Argentina and needed urgent hospitalization.

Regarding the analysis, he planned: “If the Lambda variant is formally shown to be more transmissible, it should be considered of concern. In several countries, it competes with Gamma. They behave similarly. “

First detected in August 2020 in Peru, where 82% of cases diagnosed since April are associated with it, Lambda is currently in 30 Latin American countries. Among them, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Argentina and Chile.

Winks indicated that he believed “The critical situation of the health system and the increase in deaths in these countries are associated with the increase in the prevalence of the Lambda variant”, then insist, “This has the potential to be a variant of concern.”

For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that it is observing the epidemiological behavior of the Lambda variant and its “potential increase in transmissibility and resistance to neutralizing antibodies”.

They warn that in Argentina, the super contagious strain “Gamma”, which emerged in Manaus, predominates

He went on to say that it was a “variant of interest” and, once his contagion power was investigated, possible inclusion in the category of “disturbing variants”, such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, will continue to be assessed..

He anticipated that C.37 has mutations that could increase transmission or strengthen the resistance of the virus to antibodies. However, consider that the evidence is too limited at this time.

Pablo Tsukayama, a Peruvian microbiologist, has been tracking the new variant for months in his homeland. Through genomic research, he revealed: “Lambda has become the dominant variant in Peru in a very short period of time.”

points out that “The results of the study indicated that the variant moved quickly with a higher rate of contagion than mutations currently considered more dangerous by the WHO.”.

“Lambda is more contagious and has also found the perfect conditions in Peru. We are the country that has gone through the worst of the pandemic, with 187,000 deaths and the highest death rate in the world “, concluded Tsukayama.

JFG