No case of the Lambda variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been found in India so far. Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, informed this yesterday on July 9 in a press briefing. He said Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is closely monitoring the variant.
“In our country, no cases have been reported and INSACOG is monitoring it and we are watchful,” he said.
Affirming that the variant has not been detected in the country, NITI Aayog Member (Health) VK Paul said: “Our surveillance system INSACOG is very effective and it will detect it if it happens to enter our country.”
“We should be watchful for these variants because the virus is under pressure and when it goes under pressure then it tends to pick up characteristics that tend to help it in survival but as of now we should be watching such variants for their presence in our country,” he added.
The Lambda variant was discovered for the first time in Peru in December, last year. The joint secretary informed that in Peru, 80 per cent of infections (during May and June this year) were from this variant. “It has also been found in South American countries and in the UK and European countries, and any public health impact will be monitored,” he said.
So far, the variant has been detected in 25 countries. Four days back on July 6, the Lambda variant was reported in Australia.
Meanwhile, on June 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) termed Lambda variant of COVID19 as a ‘variant of interest’. In other words, the variant is something to watch out for. WHO has stated that the variant’s mutations could increase its transmissibility or possibly heighten its resistance to neutralising antibodies.
