Social Share BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, June 27, 2021 (SKNIS): Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Hazel Laws, announced during a Special NEOC COVID-19 Press Briefing on Saturday, June 26, that the new COVID-19 strain that was picked up in St. Kitts and Nevis in May 2021, is identified as the Lambda variant.
In early June, the Ministry of Health sent samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for genomic sequencing to determine the variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is presently in circulation.
“The report says that the SARS-CoV-2 variant belongs to the lineage B.1.1.1 or C.37. The World Health Organization label for this variant is the Lambda variant. So this is the variant that is in circulation in the Federation,” said CMO Dr. Laws. “The Lambda variant is classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization.”
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis has confirmed the Covid-19 strain picked up in May 2021 as the Lambda variant.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws warns the new strain is more transmissible and more deadly than the strain identified in 2020.
The Lambda variant has been identified in 29 countries so far.
The World Health Organization has classified it as a variant of interest.
New Covid strain circulating in St Kitts and Nevis searchlight.vc - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from searchlight.vc Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
SKNVibes | New COVID-19 strain in circulation in St Kitts and Nevis identified as the Lambda variant sknvibes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sknvibes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.