Wednesday, July 21, 2021

LAMBDA VARIANT ARRIVES IN TEXAS from Peru, MAY NOT BE AS TRANSMISSIBLE AS DELTA

Note: This is down further on the page if you go to URL online. 

begin quote from:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/07/21/covid-vaccine-delta-variant-mask-cdc-hospitalizations/8035920002/

LAMBDA VARIANT ARRIVES IN TEXAS, MAY NOT BE AS TRANSMISSIBLE AS DELTA

A Houston area hospital reported its first case of the lambda variant of the coronavirus, but public health experts say the variant is unlikely to take hold in the U.S. in the same way the delta variant has. Dr. S. Wesley Long, Houston Methodist’s medical director of diagnostic biology, said the variant does not appear to be as easily transmissible as the delta variant. Lambda first spread in Peru; in the U.S., there have been fewer than 700 sequenced cases identified. While it does have some mutations similar to other variants that have raised concern, it isn’t spreading globally in a way that should raise the same alarm.

“I know there’s great interest in lambda, but I think people really need to be focused on delta,” Long said. “Most importantly, regardless of the variant, our best defense against all these variants is vaccination.”

– Ryan Miller

US TO KEEP MEXICAN, CANADIAN BORDERS CLOSED THROUGH AUG. 21

The U.S. will continue to restrict non-essential travelers from Mexico and Canada via land and ferry at least through Aug. 21, according to documents to be published in the Federal Register. The previous border restrictions were set to end Thursday. Travelers from Canada and Mexico can still come into the U.S. by air with proof of a negative COVID test or recovery from COVID. The borders were first closed to leisure travelers in March 2020 due to the pandemic. The restrictions have been extended on a monthly basis ever since.

No comments: