Lambda variant of the coronavirus epidemic in the United States – News

The coronavirus pandemic in the United States continues, and in addition to the contagious Delta variant, now the infections caused by the Lambda variant have started to spread, also known as Andina, discovered in Peru.

In regards to, experts pointed out that transmission among the unvaccinated promotes the mutation of the virus into increasingly contagious forms. This is what the channel indicated this Sunday CNN, citing various academics.

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The first case of the Lambda variant was detected last month in Texas at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, and genomic sequencing has since identified 1,060 infections attributable to it, according to the independent data sharing initiative Gisaid.

Although this number is far from those attributed to the Delta variant, which accounts for about 83% of new cases in the United States, Infectious disease experts have said that the Lambda variant is one of the most common.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the Delta variant as a ‘variant of concern’, whereas so far, Lambda is identified with a lower grade as a “variant of interest”.

The coronavirus “has disturbing mutations, but this variant is still quite rare in the United States despite its circulation for several months,” said Preeti Malani, medical director of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

“Fortunately, studies suggest that the vaccines currently available are still effective,” said Malani.

He added: “We have learned during the pandemic that things can change quickly, so controlling the spread of Covid-19 in general will help manage Lambda.”

“As long as there is an uncontrolled spread of SARS-CoV-2, we will see more variants in the future. The only way out is generalized vaccination to control the spread and prevent new mutations,” insisted the specialist.

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For his part, Dr Gregory Poland, professor of medicine and director of the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told the news network CNN Friday that “whenever a variant is identified and the ability to spread rapidly in a population is demonstrated, there is concern.”

United States experiences new peak in coronavirus infections at that time, because while a few weeks ago, the country recorded around 8,000 cases daily, more than 127,000 were reported on Thursday, which worries authorities, because as cases increase, vaccination has slowed.

Vaccines are essential to counter new variants of the coronavirus, like Lambda, which may remain rare in the United States.

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The main person in charge of the fight against the virus, Anthony Fauci, warned a few days ago that if the variant is not controlled, it is possible that new strains will appear much worse than Delta.

“As long as the virus continues to spread, it gives it ample chance to mutate, and when you give it ample chance to mutate, sooner or later you can get another variant, and it’s possible that variant is, in some ways worse than the already. very difficult variant we are dealing with now, ”Fauci said.

In agreement with Fauci, Poland noted that the more people do not wear a jugular and remain unvaccinated, the more likely it is that additional variants will emerge in the future, including one that could bypass vaccines altogether.

Because, as the coronavirus continues to pass from person to person, with each new infection it changes a bit, like any virus, and these changes or mutations can be mild or make them more easily transmitted and dangerous. .