Lambda, more contagious and able to escape vaccines



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The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that a new variant of Covid-19 has been identified, called Lambda, in 29 countries and especially in South America, where it is believed to be from. First detected in Peru, the lineage of this recent strain has been classified as a variant of global interest on June 15 due to a “high prevalence” in the south of the American continent.

Lambda is very present in Peru, where 81% of cases Covid-19 since April 2021 has been associated with this variant, authorities reported.

In Chile, it was detected in 32% of all sequences presented in the last 60 days, and it was exceeded only by the Gamma variant, which was first identified in Brazil. Other countries, like Argentina and Ecuador, also reported a high prevalence of the new variant.

A group of men carry a coffin in the cemetery of El Cebollar, in Arequipa, Peru.  Photo: AP

A group of men carry a coffin in the cemetery of El Cebollar, in Arequipa, Peru. Photo: AP

WHO has reported that the Lambda lineage has mutations that could increase transmission or strengthen the resistance of the virus to antibodies.

However, the evidence is too limited at the momentthe Geneva-based organization said, and further study is needed to better understand the Lambda variant.

Interesting variants, unlike the worrisome variants that made headlines around the world, are monitored by health organizations, but still it is not proven that these are threats important for public health.

A health worker examines people's documents before receiving doses of a coronavirus vaccine, at a vaccination center in San Bartolo district, south of Lima, Peru.  Photo: Xinhua.

A health worker examines people’s documents before receiving doses of a coronavirus vaccine, at a vaccination center in San Bartolo district, south of Lima, Peru. Photo: Xinhua.

However, there is a troubling timeline: the most recent example is the Delta variant, which was first identified in India and was labeled as a variant of concern until May 11, 2021. Since that day, when its rapid spread around the world was confirmed, the WHO has classified it as a variant of concern .

As reported 20minutes.es, the immunologist Adelaide Sarukhan, from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, says that “lambda carries mutations that could increase its transmissibility or its ability to evade the immune response, but there is very little evidence at this time.”

The latest WHO update on covid-19 variants, strains currently classified as ‘of concern’ are Alpha (B.1.1.7, emerged in UK), Beta (B.1.351, emerging as South Africa), Gamma (P.1, original by Brazil) and Delta (B.1.617.2, formerly known as the variant India).

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