As the Lambda COVID-19 variant predominates in South America, should Canadians be worried? – The country’s

With the Lambda variant raging in South America, several Coronavirus disease The strain has entered Canada.

As of Wednesday, provincial health authorities stated that the Lambda variant caused 5.7% of all cases detected in Canada last week, Most of them are found in Quebec.

This is what you need to know.

The earliest recorded Lambda variant sample is Confirmed by the World Health Organization in Peru in DecemberSince then, it has spread widely in South American countries such as Argentina and Chile, accounting for more than 20% of reported variant cases in the region.

The reason for the alarm?

Emerging research comes from Scientific research journal BioRxiv The Lambda strain was found to be highly contagious and more resistant to vaccines than the original COVID-19 strain.

exist Laboratory experiments that have not been peer-reviewedThe researchers found that three mutations in the Lambda spike protein, RSYLTPGD246-253N, 260 L452Q and F490S, help it resist vaccine-induced antibodies. Two additional mutations, T76I and L452Q, help make Lambda variants better infect our cells.

However, the World Health Organization has not designated it as a “variant of concern”, but Instead, mark it as a “variant of interest.”“

This is mainly because the variant spreads faster than the original strain and is related to community transmission, although there has been no increase in cases in most parts of the world, said Dr. Omar Khan, a professor of biomedical engineering at the university. Toronto.

“Some things that are more easily transmitted and can be maintained in some or unvaccinated people will only replicate more frequently, and then more mutations will occur,” he said. “This is the way to really accelerate the evolution of the virus through very fast and rapid spread.”

But despite this, experts have not yet sounded the alarm bell.

“It is not clear whether it is as dangerous as Delta or other variants in North America and other parts of the world,” said Dr. Anthony Chow, founding head and professor emeritus of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of British Columbia.

Zhou said that Canadians should focus on vaccinations, which denies the chance for the variant to replicate.

“As long as a significant portion of it is not vaccinated, it will create opportunities for Lambda and other variants to replicate,” he said.

“The more they replicate, the more mutations they will have, and the more likely it is that they will produce more resistant and infectious mutations.”

3:41Health issues: Lambda variants popular in Canada

There are very few cases of Lambda in Canada

Of all reported COVID-19 cases in Canada, the Lambda variant accounted for 5.7%, but it still lags far behind Delta, which accounts for more than 78% of cases detected nationwide. The exact number of confirmed variant cases is unclear, because PHAC reports the total proportion of Canadian variants, not the total number by province and territory.

Chow said that Canada’s strict travel policy is partly due to the lack of Lambda-driven waves.

Zhou pointed out that measures such as closing non-essential travel borders and quarantining for 14 days are helpful.

“The travel policy that restricts imports is the key,” he said.

But Canada’s vaccine record may also be a factor.

“We have a different set of vaccines from other parts of the world, especially South America,” Khan said.

Khan, who has a family in South America, told Global News that they are still struggling to obtain vaccines from AstraZeneca and Coxing-these countries are “affordable.” But vaccination may also play an important role in why there are no more Lambda cases in Canada.

More than 70% of Canadians 12 years and older have been fully vaccinated, and more than 81% have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The latest data from the federal government showsThese numbers are much lower in South America, and many countries report that 30% or less of their population is vaccinated. According to our data world.

Khan added that when vaccines are unevenly distributed and different countries use different vaccines, it is difficult to track the real-time resistance of vaccines on multiple continents in real time.

“Things that spread so quickly are often the engines of virus evolution,” he said. “Really, this is what got us into trouble.”

-Documents from Reuters

View link »