No case of lambda Covid-19 variant detected in India so far

The lambda variant of Covid-19 has spread to 30 countries so far. It originated from Peru in South America, where over 80 per cent of the samples are found to have the lambda strain.

India has so far not recorded any Covid-19 infection due to the lambda variant of the coronavirus, news agency ANI reported quoting government officials. The new strain of the Sars-CoV-2 virus has been detected in 30 countries till now.

A healthcare worker administering a dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a beneficiary, at a government dispensary in New Delhi.(Raj K Raj / HT Photo)

The variant is reported to have originated from Peru where it is the dominant strain, according the local media reports. Peru, along with other South American countries Chile and Uruguay, has started giving Pfizer shots to some disabled people as young as 12.

Peru is the country which has the highest number of deaths compared to its population, with 587 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants.

According to the country's health authorities, lamba variant has been found in 81 per cent of the samples tested for Covid-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared lambda as a 'variant of interest' and is monitoring its spread. The United States, meanwhile, has still not designated it as the variant of interest.

Lambda is believed to spread faster than the original variants of Covid-19, but researchers have said that further studies are needed to firmly establish the fact. The efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines is also reported to be reduced against the lambda variant, but researchers demand more studies.

India saw a devastating wave of the coronavirus disease in March and April which was led by the delta variant, which is about 60 per cent faster than the original alpha strain. The daily caseload, which had crossed 400,000 during the peak, has now gone down to below 40,000 mark.