The delta variant of the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the United States. But more recent reports are warning of the lambda variant, which has made its way to California.
So what is the difference between the two variants? Here’s a quick breakdown.
What is the delta variant?
The delta variant is the current COVID-19 mutation that is surging throughout the country. It originally led to surges in India and the United Kingdom before it made its way to the United States.
- So far, the delta variant has been stalled by the COVID-19 vaccines, for the most part.
- However, emerging data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the vaccine’s effectiveness dropped from 91% to 66% when the delta variant became the majority of virus cases in the U.S.
- Similarly, officials in Israel said the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer might not be totally effective against the delta variant of the coronavirus, too, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
What is the lambda variant?
The lambda variant was first discovered in Peru in summer 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- The variant has not been spreading too fast in the United States. There have been cases in Texas and it has started to spread in California.
A new study found that the lambda variant of the coronavirus can evade the COVID-19 vaccines.
- The lambda variant allegedly has two mutations that give it the ability to evade vaccines.