First Case Of The Lambda COVID Variant Reported In Los Angeles

Genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been emerging and circulating around the world throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Viral mutations and variants in the United States are routinely monitored through sequence-based surveillance, laboratory studies, and epidemiological investigations.

The B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), B.1.617.2 (Delta), and P.1 (Gamma) variants circulating in the United States are classified as variants of concern.

A Variant of Concern is a variant for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (e.g., increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.

Possible attributes of a Variant of High Consequence:

The first case of the much-talked-about Lambda variant of Covid-19 was reported in Los Angeles as of last Thursday.

“We’ve only seen one Lambda variant among tests sequenced in our labs, and this was a sample from June,” said L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer.

The other two categories:

Variant of Interest: A variant with specific genetic markers that have been associated with changes to receptor binding, reduced neutralization by antibodies generated against previous infection or vaccination, reduced efficacy of treatments, potential diagnostic impact, or predicted increase in transmissibility or disease severity.

Variant of High Consequence has clear evidence that prevention measures or medical countermeasures (MCMs) have significantly reduced effectiveness relative to previously circulating variants.

Lambda was first identified in Peru in December 2020, according to the WHO (World Health Organization). 

It’s become the dominant strain in South America, spread overseas and been identified as a variant of interest by WHO. Scientists are still trying to understand whether Lambda is more transmissible, but a July study, which has yet to be peer reviewed, indicated Lambda may be able to evade vaccines.

One prominent database shows only 914 Lambda variant cases in the U.S. to date, and only 14 identified in the past two weeks.