The new variant of Covid under observation in the USA: widespread above all in South America, in Italy there are only 13 cases identified. Vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna appear to be effective against Lambda as well
In the United States, struggling with the 83% prevalence of Delta variant of the coronavirus, infectious disease experts are also closely watching Lambda variant. Genomic sequencing has identified only 1,060 cases so far (GISAID data), but some recent studies are focusing on the alleged ability to greater transmissibility and neutralization of antibodies produced by vaccines by this variant.
Where widespread? How many cases have there been in Italy?
The Lambda variant was first identified in For in August 2020. The World Health Organization (which designates Delta as a VOC, variant of concern) defines the Lambda a YOU, variant of interest. So far it has been detected in 29 countries, with high levelsDelta variant elli of diffusion in South America: in Chile 33%, in Peru 23%, in the USA 20%, in Ecuador 5%, in Mexico 4% (source GISAID). In Italy there have been a total of 13 sequencing, but only 1 in the past 4 weeks e prevalence at 0%. Its global prevalence has already dropped in many areas of the world and it doesn’t seem to compete with the Delta, but it presents some mutations which might cause some concern.
The key mutations of the new variant
Lambda has many mutations from the original Wuhan strain, including 7 in the virus spike protein, Spike. Three are the riskiest. T76I e L452Q, would increase the power of contagiousness, in fact L452R is common to a variant that has spread in California (about 45% of current samples in the US state show this mutation) and a mutation known to be more transmissible. The third mutation under the lens indicated with RSYLTPGD246-253N: it is found in the terminal part of the Spike protein and thanks to it Lambda could have the power of escape the antibodies created by vaccines.
What the most recent studies say
And here are the latest studies that talk about Lambda: they are all published online as prepress without having been subjected to the usual peer review. Last in chronological order, inserted on July 28 and coordinated by the University of Tokyo, it examines the three mutations we talked about: The Spike protein of the most infectious Lambda variant and attributed to the T76I and L452Q mutations. The RSYLTPGD246-253N mutation, a unique 7-amino acid deletion mutation in the N-terminal domain of the Spike-Lambda protein, responsible for evasion from neutralizing antibodies, reads the paper.
Vaccines are effective even in the worst case scenario
A study from the New York School of Medicine dated July 23 Mount Sinai: Researchers tested a number of viral variants, including B.1.526 (Iota), B.1.1.7 + E484K (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), B.1.617.2 (Delta) and C.37 (Lambda) on 76 individuals vaccinated with mRNA-1273 (Moderna) or BNT162b2 (Pfizer / BioNTech). There greater reduction of the neutralizing power of the antibodies produced by the serum of people vaccinated with the Lambda (4.6 times), followed by the Beta, but the research specifies that in these exams it was a Lambda sub-variant with 84 further changes compared to sequence C.37 and that all 30 sera maintained at least partial neutralization activity against this variant virus C.37, which could indicate that mRNA vaccines will remain effective and that the immune evasion shown should be seen as the worst case scenario for variant C.37.
Modest resistance to vaccines
Finally, the latest study published on July 19 by Grossman School of Medicine New York University showed how some of the emerging variants (including Lambda) could circumvent the protection afforded by a single dose of the Janssen vaccine. Johnson & Johnson. In the pre-press, however, it is pointed out that the Beta, Delta, Delta-plus and Lambda variants showed only one modest resistance against antibodies induced by Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, suggesting that vaccines may work just the same.
Chinese vaccines and Lambda
Laboratory studies do not always align perfectly with efficacy data from the real world, which in turn changes depending on the Country where it spreads the variant, of the vaccine used in that particular State and of the percentage of vaccinated reached. Lambda widespread in South America and apparently not very pervasive in areas where the Delta is prevalent, has expanded into countries where vaccination coverage was usually made up of Chinese vaccines, which are valid but less effective, especially in stopping the infection.
In Chile, which also has a vaccination coverage of 64% (and Lambda at 33%), Sinovac’s Chinese vaccine called CoronaVac was used (based on inactivated virus): the efficacy of the vaccine estimated at 65.9% against infections, 87.5% against hospitalizations, 90.3% against hospitalizations in intensive care and 86.3 % for the prevention of death. CoronaVac-activated antibodies, however, may drop below the expected threshold six months later the inoculum of the second dose (we talked about it WHO). These considerations are grafted on the situation of the health systems of the individual countries and on the prevalence of the other variants.
Lambda does not prevail over the Delta
For now the Lambda globally uphill, but has already had a peak from which to descend and does not prevail over the Delta. It certainly has mutations to take into consideration, but it needs to be studied better, especially in the real world on vaccinated people. Its characteristics reflect the WHO designation of YOU, variant of interest and not VOC, variant of concern.
August 9, 2021 (change August 9, 2021 | 16:22)
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