Update on SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest

12/07/2021

On 14 June 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a variant assigned to the Pango C.37 lineage (GISAID clade GR/452Q. V1, Nextstrain clade 20D) was designated as a variant of interest (VOI), and was given the designation "Lambda."

The Lambda variant has been associated with substantial rates of community transmission in multiple countries, with an increasing prevalence over time and a higher incidence of COVID-19. The earliest sequenced samples of Lambda were reported from Peru in August 2020.

Lambda has a series of mutations in the spike protein, including G75V, T76I (with the 247-253 deletion), L452Q, F490S, D614G, and T859N; with possible phenotypic implications, such as a potential increase in transmissibility and a possible increase in resistance to neutralizing antibodies. At present, however, the evidence is limited, and more studies are being conducted to determine the impact of these phenotypic changes.

Source: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19---23-march-2021

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