STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There’s growing concern in the scientific community that a coronavirus (COVID-19) variant that has yet to reach U.S. shores could be resistant to vaccines, according to a new report.
On Monday, the New York Post reported that the Lambda variant, first discovered in Peru last August, could be more resistant to existing coronavirus vaccines than other forms of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which has deemed the Lambda variant one of interest, said that the various mutations present may result in “potential increased transmissibility or possible increased resistance to neutralizing antibodies.”
A recent study published in Chile, where the variant accounts for about one-third of all coronavirus cases, said that the Lambda variant appears to be more resistant to vaccines than other strains of the virus.
“Our data show for the first time that mutations present in the spike protein of the Lambda variant confer escape to neutralizing antibodies and increased infectivity,” researchers said.
In addition to its potential resistance to vaccines, the Lambda variant has also shown to be highly transmissible, similar to the Delta variant that is currently responsible for ongoing outbreaks across the globe.
The Lambda variant has accounted for more than 80% of all new coronavirus cases in Peru since April, and has spread to over 30 countries, the majority of which are located in Latin America, according to the report.
Thus far, the Lambda variant has not been discovered in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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