The COVID lambda variant

Many different strains of COVID have been popping up in recent news, with the Delta variant being the one of most concern at the moment. However, the Lambda variant is the newest strain that scientists are concerned about. It originated in South America in December 2020 and has now been reported in 29 different countries.

Image from The National.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled the variant a “variant of interest” because of its mutations that might allow it to be more transmissible and cause more severe symptoms. As of right now, there isn’t any evidence to show that it will cause more severe symptoms, but there is a possibility that there is a higher rate of transmission; more studies will need to be conducted though.

There have also not been enough studies testing the efficacies of vaccines against the Lambda variant. However, the Lambda variant should not be a concern in the US right now since many other strains such as the Delta variant are much more concerning.