By Sola Ogundipe

The World Health Organization, WHO, is tracking the COVID-19 Lambda variant – currently a variant of interest – to see if it should be classified as a variant of concern. 

Also known as C.37 variant, the Lambda variant has spread at least 27 countries with a heavy concentration in South America, and has been detected in Europe, where there is an the ongoing battle against the Delta variant.

The Lambda variant was classified as a variant of interest by the WHO on 15 June 2021 – a status that means it may be more transmissible than the original strain, has caused outbreaks in multiple countries, or theoretically could cause more severe COVID illness or be more adept at evading currently available treatments and vaccines.

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According to the WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO is tracking the strain to see if it should be classified as a variant of concern.

She said this would happen if the strain “demonstrated properties of increased transmissibility,” or “if it has increased severity”.

The Lambda variant is responsible for an estimated 82 percent of new COVID-19 cases in Peru over the past two months.

About a third of cases in Chile over the same time frame were also caused by the Lambda strain, and the UK is among the countries that have seen cases.

As with other variants such as the Delta variant, scientists say it is too early to know whether the Lambda variant could be more deadly than other strains or whether it’s resistant to vaccines or treatments.

A preliminary study finds that the specific mutations in the Lambda variant’s spike protein can increase both its infectiousness and help it evade the body’s immune system, making ongoing vaccination campaigns critical even if not every vaccine is completely effective against every COVID-19 strain.

As of 2 July 2021, there have been eight confirmed cases of the C.37 variant in the UK. Peru, where the strain was first detected, has reported that it is now the dominant variation, accounting for 71 percent of all COVID cases since January 2021.

In a pre-print paper that has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers found that mRNA vaccines are effective against the Lambda variant. But in another pre-print paper, Lambda was found to have mutations that had “the ability to escape from neutralising antibodies elicited by CoronaVac, a vaccine being used in several Asian countries. Researchers have

While it is not known yet whether this new variant is more transmissible, scientists say it carries mutations that that could potentially lead to increased transmissibility or increased resistance to the antibodies provided by a COVID-19 vaccination or prior exposure to the virus.

However, experts say an increase in transmissibility doesn’t necessarily mean that a variant is more deadly.

There is currently little evidence to show exactly how the Lambda variant is different to the other strains, scientists say that further, more robust studies are needed before we can understand the full extent of the strain’s effect.

Vanguard News Nigeria