No, the Covid-19 Lambda variant isn’t in SA, says NICD

Although the Covid-19 Lambda variant has not been detected in South Africa, the new variant is reportedly circulating in more than 30 countries across the globe.

The Lambda variant, which was first identified in Peru in December 2020, has already been added to the “variant of interest” (VOI) list by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

While the WHO is monitoring and tracking global spread of the Lambda variant, also known as C.37, it has accounted for 81% of Covid-19 cases in Peru since April 2021.

“This variant has been monitored as an alert for an extended period and, upon more information and updated assessments, is now considered as meeting the VOI working definition based upon evidence of continued emergence and suspected phenotypic implications,” WHO said.

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“Lambda has been associated with substantive rates of community transmission in multiple countries, with
rising prevalence over time concurrent with increased Covid-19 incidence.”

The variant is also said to be carrying “a number of mutations with suspected phenotypic implications, such as a potential increased transmissibility or possible increased resistance to neutralising antibodies”, according to the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

“There is currently limited evidence on the full extent of the impact associated with these genomic changes, and further robust studies into the phenotypic impacts are needed to better understand the impact on countermeasures and to control the spread,” it said.

Are Covid-19 vaccines effective against Lambda?

At the moment, there is little research into whether Covid-19 vaccines are effective against the Lambda variant or not.

“Further studies are required to validate the continued effectiveness of vaccines,” the NHS added.

Has Lambda been detected in SA?

At this stage there is no evidence to show it has been detected in South Africa, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).

On Tuesday, South Africa recorded 15,501 new Covid-19 cases, which represents a 26.2% positivity rate, as the health sector battles with the Delta variant.

The Delta variant, first detected in India in October 2020, is becoming more dominant in Gauteng amid the third wave of Covid-19 infections.

READ MORE: Covid-19: How vaccines work against the Delta variant

“It is not surprising that new variants have been detected in South Africa”, Prof Adrian Puren, the NICD’s acting executive director, said.

The variant has been detected in more than 25 countries around the globe and is more transmissible than the previous two variants. As Covid-19 continues to spread, new variants will likely continue to emerge.

Variants of Concern/Interest