According to Malaysia’s health ministry, the lambda variant of the coronavirus is proving to be more deadly than the Delta variant, which was first discovered in India. In the last four weeks, cases of the lambda variant have been detected in more than 30 countries, according to the report.
On Monday, the Malaysian health ministry tweeted, “The Lambda strain was reported to have originated from Peru, the country with the highest mortality rate in the world.”
It cited a report from the Australian news portal news.com.au, which stated that the lambda strain had been found in the UK as well. According to The Star, the researchers are concerned that this variant may be “more infectious than the Delta variant.”
Lambda is responsible for nearly 82 percent of coronavirus case samples reported in Peru between May and June, according to Euro News, citing the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
According to Euro News, the strain is found in more than 31% of samples from May and June in Chile, another South American country.
Because of its high prevalence in South America, the World Health Organization (WHO) has already designated lambda as a “variant of interest.” According to the World Health Organization, lambda has increased transmission and antibody resistance.
Meanwhile, due to international expansion and several notable mutations, including L452Q and F490S, Public Health England (PHE) has added lambda to its list of variants under investigation (VUI).
According to PHE, six cases of Lambda have been identified across the country so far, all of which have been linked to international travel.
There is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe disease or renders current vaccines less effective, according to UK health officials. PHE, on the other hand, said it is conducting laboratory tests to better understand the impact of mutations on the virus’s behaviour.
