The coronavirus recently caused the death of a healthy 19-month-old boy in Saudi Arabia, and this week the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed two new cases of infection in Florida. The virus is unlike any ever seen before, and the CDC has been working around the clock to understand its mechanisms of infection, since it has the potential to cause a pandemic.
It’s been a busy day. For reference, here was today’s #Coronavirus Briefing by the CDC: “The CDC is currently investigating a cluster of respiratory illnesses that occurred today. The outbreak appears to be affecting people with asthma and people who have an underlying health condition of unknown origin. People who experience shortness of breath or other unexplained symptoms are encouraged to call their health care provider. There is no specific treatment for transmission of coronaviruses. The CDC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to investigate the possible cluster of illnesses.”
What we know about lambda
In recent weeks, headlines and social media posts have warned of the lambda variant, which was first discovered in Peru late last year. This variant has spread rapidly in Latin America and the WHO has classified it as a variant of interest, meaning experts suspect it is more dangerous than the original strain.
But there is still a lot of mystery surrounding this option and the extent of the risk. Here’s what we do and don’t know about Lambda.
What we know
Where to find it: Through mid-June, Lambda had been reported in 29 countries, territories or regions. According to WHO, this variant has been found in 81% of coronavirus samples tested in Peru since April. In Chile, it has been found in 31% of the samples tested so far. Sporadic cases have also been reported in several other countries. In the United States, the percentage was less than 1% of the samples.
Mutations: Lambda contains eight remarkable mutations. Some of these mutations also occur in other variants and can make the virus more contagious or help bypass the body’s immune response.
What we don’t know
Can he avoid vaccines: Preliminary laboratory tests are both disturbing and reassuring. In these studies, the research teams found that the antibodies induced by the Pfizer, Moderna, and CoronaVac vaccines were less potent against the lambda strain than against the original strain, but were still able to neutralize the virus. Antibodies are not the only defense against the virus. Although they are less effective against lambda, other parts of the immune system, such as T cells, can also provide protection. According to the scientists, the results of these studies suggest that these vaccines should still work against lambda.
Power: Following the revision of mortality rates in late May, Peru now has one of the highest mortality rates in the world. This has led some to speculate that Lambda could be the culprit. However, the increase in morbidity and high mortality in Peru may be linked to the country’s deep-rooted inequalities and the fragility of its health system. We still do not know whether Lambda causes more severe forms of Covid-19 than the other variants.
Transferability : As with several other variants, preliminary results show that the lambda virus binds more strongly to cells than the original virus strain, making it potentially more transmissible. But more research is needed.
Despite the concerns, there is no evidence yet that Lambda will outperform the high-ratio Delta variant that currently prevails in most countries around the world.
I think part of the significance is that there is a new variant with a new name, says Nathaniel Landau, a microbiologist at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine who studies new variants of the coronavirus. There’s no reason to think it’s worse now than it was in Delta.
New Olympic restrictions
The Tokyo Olympics begin on the 23rd. July, and Japan doesn’t have the virus under control.
In response to the sudden surge in illnesses - Tokyo reported 920 cases Wednesday, the highest number since May - authorities declared a state of emergency from Monday until the end of the Games, which begin May 8. August.
The organisers will also bar most spectators, reversing an earlier statement that they wanted to welcome local supporters. Some events, such as. B. the marathon, will be held at locations not affected by the new emergency so that some fans can attend.
The Japanese public has for months been largely opposed to these games, which many fear will become a petri dish for new variants or epidemics. Recent opinion polls show an overwhelming majority in favour of cancelling or postponing the Olympic Games.
And while Japan has endured a relatively mild pandemic, the supply of vaccines - currently more than a million doses a day - has been slow to take off. According to Reuters, enough doses have been administered to vaccinate about 21 percent of the country’s population.
Essence of the Summer Olympics
But the organizers won’t stop there. Officials have long maintained that they can safely host the games, which have been postponed for a year because of the pandemic. In a sign of the inevitability of the event, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach arrived in Tokyo on Thursday.
Delta variant
Find out how vaccination is done in your county and state.
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What are you doing?
Since two of my five senses were wiped out by Covid-19, I deal with problems in a creative way. I didn’t catch the virus for 10 months. I was so careful and proud of it. And then, at the end of January, while I never let myself get knocked down, boom! Now it was my turn. It didn’t hit me that hard. These include headache, fatigue, nasal congestion, loss of taste and smell. But the taste and smell didn’t really come back more than five months later. No expectation of the next meal. No goosebumps at the smell of flowers or the forest in the morning rush hour (now that I’m not alone on the bus stirring the pot). Even during the pandemic, I remained a staunch optimist, but it let me down so much.
- Heather M., Staten Island, New York.
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