Along with the swiftly-transmittable Delta variant currently making its rounds in California, another variant has reportedly surfaced which specialists have dubbed the Lambda variant.
Lambda was recorded in152 genetically sequenced COVID-19 cases in California, according to the state Department of Public Health. The first case was found in September, with another 10 in March, 88 in April, 43 in May, eight in June, and, most recently, two cases in July.
Recently, a Lambda variant case was recorded in Los Angeles on the second week of August. However, the state did not publish the rest of the exact districts in which these cases were recorded.
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Dr. Anna Durbin from the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said that despite the existence of another COVID variant, it wouldn’t be as transmittable as the Delta variant, which makes up more than 90 percent of new cases in the state and around the country.
Dr. Durbin says that part of the virus’ characteristics is that they “compete with each other for the advantage to be the one that survives”.
Because of the existence of the highly transmittable Delta variant, Durbin says that it is highly improbable that the Lambda variant would outcompete it just yet.
The first case of the Lambda variant was detected in Peru in the summer of 2020. A study published on bioRxiv found that the Lambda variant of the COVID-19 virus had two mutations which gave it the ability to evade vaccines.
However, neither the US nor the World Health Organization has classified Lambda as a “variant of concern”.
Although, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a specialist in infectious diseases, still says that vaccines are the best way to avoid getting infected with the Lambda variant.
According to studies, the Lambda variant still shares the same symptoms with other COVID variants and will be treated the same way.
Experts agree that the best way to avoid these viral infections is to wear surgical-grade masks, avoid mask-less close contact, and get vaccinated.
