Circulation of the Lambda variant has also been observed in some neighboring countries, i.e., Argentina, Chile and Ecuador, where it has remained at remarkably low levels. The circulation of the Lambda variant in other countries in South America (e.g., Brazil and Colombia) and other regions of the world has also occurred at very low levels, even though this variant has been known for a long time. Multivariate linear regression analyses of the proportion of case fatalities attributable to the Lambda variant, the new deaths and the new confirmed cases per million (7-day rolling average) in Peru did not show significant associations.
The authors review of the most recent data on the Lambda variant suggest this variant’s relatively high infectivity in cultured cells and low neutralizing titers of convalescent sera and vaccine-elicited antibodies in vitro. However, the exact effects of this variant on clinical severity and vaccine effectiveness remain poorly documented. The currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines are still believed to provide efficient protection against the Lambda variant.
Article reference: Cao Chen, Qi Shi and Xiao-Ping Dong, SARS-CoV-2 Lambda Variant: Spatiotemporal Distribution and Potential Public Health Impact. Zoonoses, 2021, https://doi.org/10.15212/ZOONOSES-2021-0009