A new variant of COVID-19 is rampant
The strain has caused disease outbreaks in some countries and is of serious concern to scientists.
COVID-19 readings in Canada and in many countries around the world indicate that the pandemic may soon be over. However, a new strain of the virus, called the Lambda variant, has caught the attention of scientists at the World Health Organization (WHO). It is causing serious concern and is puzzling experts with an unusual set of mutations.
Lambda was first detected in Peru in December 2020. Since then, the variant has spread to 27 countries, including the UK, where so far the number of cases associated with the strain is low. But while in Peru back in December Lambda was found in one in 200 people who got sick, in May and June this strain accounted for 82% of all infections, which probably means it is more contagious than all previous ones. Moreover, Peru now has the highest percentage of COVID-19 deaths in the world. In neighboring Chile, the Lambda variant is now found in almost a third of those who become ill. It is also spreading in Ecuador and Argentina.
WHO has not yet recognized Lambda as a variant of concern, but continues to investigate it. According to scientists, there is currently no evidence that Lambda is more dangerous than other strains or that vaccines against it are less effective.
But research from the University of Chile suggests that Lambda is more infectious than the Alpha and Gamma variants, also known as the British and Brazilian strains, respectively. In addition, the results suggest that the variant is better able to avoid the antibodies that form after vaccination. The study of Lambda, however, is complicated by a unique set of seven mutations. One of these is very similar to the Delta variant mutation, making it more infectious.
Latin America has become one of the regions hardest hit by the pandemic. A sharp increase in cases has now been observed in Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Bolivia. However, only 10% of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean is fully vaccinated.
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