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Delta is the most recent of four coronavirus mutations added to the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “variants of concern” lists.
Viruses are constantly mutating and most of the changes are not of concern. Right now, health officials are most concerned about the spread of the highly contagious Delta, but are watching mutations closely.
These include lambda, listed as a “variant of interest” by the WHO, and delta plus, a mutation of delta itself. Here’s what you need to know:
Delta plus
The delta plus variant has an additional mutation in the peak, which some people believe results in increased transmissibility, Dr. Nevan Krogan, of the University of California, San Francisco, told Luz Pena of KGO-TV.
It was one of 18 variant delta mutations, and one of seven mutations that have a spike protein shift.
“[Delta is] mutate from other viruses incredibly quickly. I think a lot of this is because there is a significant percentage of people who are infected and who are asymptomatic, ”Krogan said. “The world is really a huge Petri dish.
More data needs to be collected to confirm whether this delta plus is more transmissible than the delta variant.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s foremost infectious disease expert, told “Good Morning America” on Thursday that there was no strong evidence to determine whether the spread of the delta plus mutation should be. a cause of alarm.
“The delta variant we are dealing with is so capable of fending off other variants that we don’t expect it to take over. That said, we follow suit. [delta plus] very closely, ”he said.
Even with a new mutation, vaccines continue to be effective against these variants, said infectious disease specialist Dr Monica Gandhi.
“It’s true that it’s mutating, but the only thing to remember about the immune system is that when we get protection from vaccines, you form T cells in 85 parts of the spike protein. 11 to 13 spots on the spike protein, you still have very strong T cell immunity to the vaccine, ”she said.
CDC COVID-19 Transmission Levels by U.S. County
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Lambda
The WHO classified lambda as a “variant of interest” in June, which means that its genetic changes could affect the transmissibility and severity of the disease. This means health officials are watching lambda but not panicking.
Fewer than 4,000 cases of the lambda variant have been documented worldwide, with a small number detected in California, Texas and Louisiana.
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. It has since spread to other Latin American countries with the United States.
Despite reports of the lambda variant, Houston Methodist experts say delta is still the top concern in the United States
“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 variants, beta, gamma, 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.
Since the delta variant is so hyper-contagious, it will likely prevent the lambda from taking over.
The faster people develop immunity to the virus, the less likely it is that more variants will develop or take hold.
Click here for the latest information on CDC variants.
Reporting based on interviews, research and analysis from the medical unit of ABC News and KGO-TV
Copyright © 2021 WABC-TV. All rights reserved.
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