Lambda variant: A dangerous new strain of COVID-19 detected in UK & more than 30 countries.
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The new COVID-19 strain is much more dangerous than the Delta variant, said the UK Health Ministry adding that it has been detected in more than 30 countries in the past four weeks.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently announced the Lambda variant as a ‘Variant of Interest’ (VOI), meaning it was something to watch out for. On June 14, the WHO designated this variant, previously known as C.37, as the seventh and newest one.
Even as the Delta variant, Delta plus variant of the of COVID-19 continues to rise in infections around the world, another variant, ‘Lambda’ seems to be new emerging threat.
WHO mentioned “Lambda has been associated with substantive rates of community transmission in multiple countries, with rising prevalence over time concurrent with increased COVID-19 incidence”.
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Where was first Lambda variant case detected?
In Peru, where the Lambda variant is believed to have originated, accounts for almost 80% of the infections. This has been detected in samples dating back to as early as December 2020. It is the dominant strain in neighbouring Chile as well. But until recently, it was largely concentrated in a handful of South American countries, including Argentina.
The UK said it had found this variant in six infected people, all international travellers. The Public Health England recognised it as having a potential increased transmissibility or possible increased resistance to neutralizing antibodies. Recently, it has also been found in Australia.
What makes it different from other variants?
There are now 11 official SARS-CoV-2 variants listed by the WHO. All SARS-CoV-2 variants are distinguished from one another by mutations in their spike proteins — the components of the virus that allow it to invade human cells.
The WHO bulletin said, “Lambda carries a number of mutations with suspected phenotypic implications, such as a potential increased transmissibility or possible increased resistance to neutralizing antibodies.”
However, not much about the behaviour of the Lambda variant is known.
“There is currently limited evidence on the full extent of the impact associated with these genomic changes, and further robust studies into the phenotype impacts are needed to better understand the impact on countermeasures, and to control the spread,” the WHO said in a statement. “Further studies are also required to validate the continued effectiveness of vaccines.”
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Last updated by: Sigma999
Lambda variant has been detected in more than 31 countries
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Canada, Chile, USA, Peru Germany, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Spain, Israel, Colombia, France, Italy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Switzerland, Egypt, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Poland, Aruba, Australia, Curacao, Czech Republic, Denmark, Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey, Uruguay, Zimbabwe.
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Who cares every day new variant emerges atlast everyone has to die someday or other more than 15 months has already passed since pandemic began
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India has no case of Lambda COVID-19 variant so far, says report
Amid concerns of the Lambda variant of COVID-19 being identified in over 30 countries in the past four weeks, India can breathe a sigh of relief for now.
Dr Pragya Yadav, head of the National Institute of Virology`s Maximum Containment Facility, confirming the same to the news agency said, “So far India has not reported any case of lambda variant.”
Further, Yadav said that this new strain is “highly transmissible”. “Lambda variant has been detected in 30 countries. Lambda variant was first reported from Peru, in December 2020. The number of cases reported from this variant is increasing in different countries, indicating it to be highly transmissible. A recent study revealed that the lambda variant is susceptible to mRNA vaccine-elicited antibodies and convalescent serum was able to neutralize the lambda variant,” she told the news agency.
Did ‘Double Mutant’ Delta Scare You? Brace for Lambda’s 7 Mutations
Being a variant of interest means the ‘Lambda’ is under investigation. It also means much is not known about it and the problem may go deeper.
More studies are needed to understand the C.37 lineage or Lambda variant role in the Covid pandemic crisis ahead when compared to the other coronavirus strains but if we go along with the words of the World Health Organization Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, we have reasons to get worried. Dr Tedros has compared Lambda variant with Delta variant, that is currently the most dominating coronavirus strain across the world. “I am worried about the emergence of a potent Covid-19 virus variant, like Delta," he said.
The newest variant of coronavirus, that originated in Peru in August 2020, with its earliest documented sample in December 2020, has spread to 31 countries so far. As per GISAID data available from outbreak, a scientific data aggregator on Covid-19, 2,253 genome sequences with Lambda variant lineage have been detected so far in different countries.
In UK, though small in number, samples containing Lambda variant have been detected from across the country. In US, out of 50 states, it has been discovered in 43 states so far, even if small in numbers. Lambda variant has also been detected in other countries like Israel, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Turkey, and Australia.
Rapid spread of the Lambda variant is only going to add more problems to the world as most of the countries are stilling reeling under the Covid pressure caused due to Delta variant.
Dominant Strain in South America So Far
82% cases obtained in Peru in May and June were due to the Lambda variant, while the variant is behind 32% cases in Chile in the same period says the WHO data. Argentina saw 37% cases in April and May were due to this variant.
Peru, incidentally, has highest Covid mortality rate in the world. The variant is also spreading rapidly in other South American countries, i.e., Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico.
Variant with Unusual Mutations
Being a variant of interest means the Lambda variant is under investigation. It also means much is not known about it and the problem may go deeper when we see that this strain has seen many unusual genetic changes.
Delta variant was also called double mutant initially as it saw two mutations in the spike protein part that a virus uses to attack human cells. Lambda variant’s spike protein has seen seven mutations. One of the mutations, L452Q, may be behind making it more infectious as the mutation is similar to the L452R mutation of Delta variant that make it more infectious than other coronavirus variants. WHO says the variant might have increased transmissibility and increased vaccine resistance due to these mutations. Also, the strain might evade even body’s immune response. Overall, the variant has seen mutation in 75% of the sequences.
Seeing its rapid international spread and unusual mutations, the UK has designated Lambda variant as a coronavirus variant under investigation.
More Transmissible than Delta Variant?
A molecular biologist from Peru claims the Lambda variant is more transmissible. According to Dr Pablo Tsukayama, a doctor who specializes in molecular biology at Lima’s Cayetano Heredia university, says that seeing the trend, Lambda’s transmissibility is higher than other coronavirus variants. Lima is Peru’s capital. As per a report in the Financial Times quoting Dr Pablo Tsukayama, in December, the Lambda variant was detected just in one out of 200 samples, that increased to 50% in March and 80% by June.
A Lambda variant study, that is yet to be peer-reviewed, says the variant increases infectivity by 2-fold. Another study finds Lambda variant is more infectious that Alpha and Gamma variants.
If the strain ultimately proves out to be a more infectious than Delta variant and spreads more rapidly across the world, it will soon be a coronavirus variant of concern.
Can Vaccines Neutralize It?
As suggested by limited number of studies done so for on Lambda variant, existing mRNA vaccines are capable to neutralize it but more studies are needed to confirm the vaccine effectiveness against this coronavirus variant.
A Potential Worry for India?
Yes, because of travel to and from America and European countries. An infectious virus spreads step by step, something that ultimately reflected in the more fatal second Covid wave in India after almost non-existent Covid appropriate behavior across the country, something that is being repeated again, and we are possibly looking at a disastrous third Covid wave that may hit India in the month of August as expected by the experts.
As of today, India has not detected any Lambda variant Covid case but we cannot rule out its possibility in future with international travel. And once Lambda variant cases detected in India, they will only add to surge of Covid cases caused due to Delta variant.
The first response behind the second Covid wave was that Delta variant was not behind it. Now Delta variant is the dominating strain behind Covid cases across the world and India has also accepted that the strain was the main reason behind the second Covid wave surge. India must take a cautious line with Lambda variant.
Add to it the chances if the vaccines used in the country can neutralize it. There is no study so far to confirm that the vaccines currently being used in India, Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V can neutralize the variant. The problem compounds when we see that 70% of our population is still unvaccinated.
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I was out today to get some official things done, All I could see was the streets full of shoppers, restaurants open and traffic in full swing like in 2018.
Everyone is wearing masks and trying their best to keep themselves safe. What more can we do?
How long can people sit around at home when they have to do things within a certain time.
Even youtube is now flooding with full of latest videos of bloggers holidaying and hitchhiking like never before.and how can we expect the viewers to stay back home while watching bloggers enjoy their life to full.
Put a ban on such videos and most people will be ready to stay home and stay safe instead of spreading variants across the country and across borders.