The Philippines has administered 26.6 million doses of Covid vaccines as of August 13, according to the National Task Force Against Covid-19. This means 12 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated. We have a long way to go before we reach herd immunity, which can be attained after 80 percent of the population gets the jab. This is worrisome because the super-contagious Delta variant is still invading every corner of the country.
Like much of the developing world, the Philippines is in a race between vaccinations and new Covid infections. And there are dark clouds gathering on the horizon: The Department of Health on Sunday said it has detected the first case of Covid-19’s Lambda variant in the country.
Also known as C.37, the Lambda variant was first detected by the World Health Organization in Peru in December last year. Since then, it has widely circulated through South American countries, accounting for more than 20 percent of variant cases reported within the region.
Initially, Lambda infections were relatively rare. However, in recent months Lambda has become the dominant variant in Argentina, Chile and Colombia. The new strain has also been identified in a number of US States, though it has yet to gain traction.
While the US is grappling with a sudden surge of Delta infections, experts have been concerned over the arrival of newer strains that can complicate matters even more.
Understanding the Lambda variant’s mutations and how they correspond to virological features like transmissibility, virulence, immune escape, and pathogenesis will help governments prepare for its eventual spread, according to health experts.
From The Atlantic: “The US is not back to square one. The measures that stymied the original coronavirus still work against its souped-up variant; vaccines, in particular, mean that half of Americans are heavily protected in a way they weren’t nine months ago. Full vaccination (with the mRNA vaccines, at least) is about 88 percent effective at preventing symptomatic disease caused by Delta. Breakthrough infections are possible but affect only 0.01 to 0.29 percent of fully vaccinated people, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Breakthroughs might seemcommon—0.29 percent of 166 million fully vaccinated Americans still means almost 500,000 breakthroughs—but they are relatively rare. And though they might feel miserable, they are much milder than equivalent infections in unvaccinated people. Full vaccination is 96 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations from Delta, and unvaccinated people make up more than 95 percent of Covid-19 patients in American hospital beds. The vaccines are working, and working well. Vaccinated people are indisputably safer than unvaccinated people.”
In his article—Lambda Variant of Covid-19 Might Be Resistant to Vaccines—published in infectioncontroltoday.com, Frank Diamond saida preprint study by investigators in Chile suggests that the mutation, which first surfaced in Peru last year and is highly infectious, may also be able to evade vaccine antibodies.
“Our results indicate that mutations present in the spike protein of the Lambda variant of interest confer increased infectivity and immune escape from neutralizing antibodies elicited by CoronaVac,” the study said. CoronaVac is a vaccine manufactured by a Chinese company that’s being used in Peru.
Dr. Kevin Kavanagh, a member of infectioncontroltoday.com’s Editorial Advisory Board, argues that the emergence of the Lambda variant underscores the need to consider vaccines just one layer of protection against Covid-19 infection, and that they should be combined with masks and face shields.
“It needs to be remembered that a high-quality mask can decrease viral exposure up to six-fold, making them an important adjunct to vaccines with reduced efficacy,” Kavanagh said. “Our goal needs to be to prevent both death and long-term disability.”
Despite its mutation, the Lambda variant is not expected to render current Covid-19 vaccines entirely useless, and health experts stress that vaccines are still our most powerful layer of protection.
You already know this: The best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community from Covid and the new deadly variants is to get vaccinated, wear face mask, practice physical distancing, stay out of crowded places, avoid mass gatherings, and regularly wash your hands.