New Delhi, July 7: A newly-detected strain of coronavirus (COVID-19), named Lambda, is more dangerous than the Delta variant, which caused the deadly second wave of pandemic in India, said the Malaysian Health Ministry. According to a report by The Daily Star, the Malaysian Health Ministry underlined that researchers are worried that the Lambda variant may be "more infectious than the Delta variant". Here's what we know so far about this new variant. Delta and Delta Plus Variants FAQs: Is New Variant Deadlier? Know Everything About Coronavirus Mutation, Symptoms and Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines.

  • The Lambda variant originated in Peru. Over 80 percent of the COVID-19 cases in Peru reported since April last year is linked with this new variant.

  • Prevalent in South America, the Lambda variant has so far been found in 30 countries, including the United Kingdom.

  • Besides Peru, Chile, Argentina and Ecuador have reported significant number of COVID-19 cases linked to the Lambda variant.

  • An early study conducted in Peru found that the Lambda variant can escape antibodies generated following vaccination with CoronaVac - China's vaccine against COVID-19.

  • The World Health Organisation has classified the Lambda variant as a "Variant of Interest" and said that this lineage carries mutations that might increase transmissibility or strengthen the virus's resistance to antibodies.

  • Interestingly, this new COVID-19 variant has not been declared a "Variant of Interest" by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The emergence of the Lambda variant comes amid rising concerns over Delta Plus, a mutated version of the highly contagious B.1.6172 or the Delta variant of the virus. The Delta (Plus) is known as mutation variant K417N, it is presumed that it would be more virulent and smarter in escaping immunity than the Delta virus.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 07, 2021 11:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).