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Right now, the world’s attention is on the delta variant of COVID-19, and rightly so. The mutated virus is, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), capable of spreading as easily as chickenpox and could be more dangerous to unvaccinated people than regular COVID-19. It is currently overtaking the United States and is now the most prevalent new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
At the same time, the delta variant isn’t the only new strain of coronavirus worrying experts. Meet C.37, better known as the lambda variant. Some scientists studying it think it might be more of a threat than the Delta.
First re-traced in Peru around August 2020, the variant garnered attention in June when the World Health Organization (WHO) called it a “variant of interest” because cases concerning it had started to grow. spread rapidly. Variants of interest are different from “variants of concern”; these include those strains that bother authorities the most, such as the alpha variant or the delta variant; while the variants of interest require further investigation. A disproportionate number of detected cases have thus occurred in South America, although they were detected overall in 29 countries, territories or areas in 5 WHO regions, including the United States.
Authorities in Peru have reported that 81% of COVID-19 cases sequenced since April 2021 have been associated with Lambda. Argentina has reported an increasing prevalence of Lambda since the third week of February 2021, and between April 2 and the May 19, 2021, the variant accounted for 37% of sequenced COVID-19 cases, “the report adds.
A new study available on bioRxiv, which has not yet been peer reviewed, has identified several mutations that could make the lambda variant more dangerous. These include two mutations in the spike protein, the T76I and L452Q mutations, which create the bumps that protrude from the side of the coronavirus sphere like thorns. These spikes help the virus to enter the cells of the body; Notably, mRNA vaccines like those made by Pfizer and Moderna mimic these proteins to train the body to defeat the virus, making a mutation in the spike protein particularly worrisome.
The authors claim mutations in the spike protein made it more infectious, adding that another mutation called RSYLTPGD246-253N helps the virus avoid destruction by antibodies (which the immune system uses to neutralize pathogens) . They also write that this mutation “is responsible for the virological phenotype of the Lambda variant which may be associated with the massive infection spread mainly in the countries of South America”. Two other mutations in the spike protein, 260 L452Q and F490S, also help the virus to become more resistant to the antibodies induced by vaccination.
The lambda variant has grown to account for 80% of all cases in Peru over the past three months, according to that country’s National Institute of Health, with molecular microbiologist Pablo Tsukayama telling Al Jazeera that “in March it was in 50% of samples in Lima. In April, it was in 80 percent of samples in Peru. This jump from 1 to 50 percent is an early indicator of a more transmissible variant.
The delta variant also has a number of mutations that scientists believe could make it more infectious. A mutation known as P681R increases viral loads in patients, causing them to shed 1,000 times more virus than with previous coronavirus strains. A mutation called D614G increases the density of the spike protein on the side of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which could help it bypass some of the vaccine’s defenses. Another mutation, known as L452R, is believed to help the virus fight antibodies. Another mutation makes infected individuals contagious after four days instead of the usual six.
This does not mean that the lambda should cause despair or panic. Another study published in the same article found that although the variant is about 2-3 times more resistant to the antibodies produced by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the average number of antibodies produced by these inoculations is more than enough to protect against lambda. And regardless, the best way to stay safe is to get vaccinated.
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