World Health Organization identified a new variant lambda of COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) officials informed about a new variant named Lambda, which has been identified in 29 countries and believed to have originated in South America.

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The WHO identified the Lambda lineage and classified it as a global variant of Interest due to an “elevated prevalence” in South America.

While in Chile, the variant has been found in 32 percent of all submitted sequences in the last 60 days, and only outclassed by the Gamma variant which was initially detected in Brazil.

As per the WHO, this lineage carries mutations that might increase transmissibility or strengthen the virus’s resistance to antibodies.

Unlike variants of concern, variants of interest are closely watched by health organizations but are not proved yet to be significant threats to public health.