Lambda variant may become variant of concern —expert

The Lambda coronavirus variant first detected in Peru has the potential to become a variant of concern, an infectious disease expert said Sunday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Dr. Rontgene Solante, chairman of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine unit of the San Lazaro Hospital, said Lambda variant's mutations are similar to the Delta variant first detected in India.

The Lambda variant was classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization on June 14.

The WHO identifies a coronavirus variant as a "variant of interest" (VOI) if, among other criteria, it "has been identified to cause community transmission...or has been detected in multiple countries."

A variant of interest becomes a "variant of concern" (VOC) when it is associated with an "increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; [an] increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; or [a] decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics."

Solante said the Lambda variant could be more transmissible and become resistant to vaccines like what has been seen from Delta and Alpha, which are already variants of concern.

"Wala pa tayong data masyado sa Lambda variant dahil ang mga bansa na nakaranas na ng ganito ay South American countries—Peru, Argentina—at isa ito sa mga variant na binabantayan na mukhang puwede ring maging potential na variant of concern," he said.

[We don't have a lot of data yet on the Lambda variant because the countries that have experienced it are South American countries—Peru, Argentina—and it is one of the variants that is being monitored as it may become a variant of concern.]

"Ang pagtingin ko dito, puwede ring ikakamatay ito kung papasok sa isang tao na mababa ang immune response. Puwede ring mas mabilis ang hawahan nito," he added.

[I believe this could cause death among people with low immune response. It may be more transmissible too.]

The Philippines detected its first Lambda case on Sunday.

The Department of Health said the case is a 35-year-old female and it is currently working to determine whether she is a local or a returning overseas Filipino case. She was asymptomatic and tagged as recovered after undergoing the 10-day isolation period.

With this, Solante urged the public to get vaccinated and strictly follow health protocols.

"Pareho lang ang approach natin dito. Protektahan natin ang sarili natin. Kailangan nating mag-ingat," he said.

[The approach is the same. We must protect ourselves. We have to be careful.] — BM, GMA News