Health director-general Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah has dismissed claims that the Lambda COVID-19 variant has arrived in Malaysia.
Photo via The Star
DG Hisham said the latest genomic screening still showed Delta as the dominant Variant of Concern (VOC) in the country, while no cases linked to the Lambda variant had been detected so far.
It is said that the Lambda variant is a “threat to the human species” as it is 55 times more dangerous than the Alpha variant.
A Twitter user asked DG Hisham on Tuesday (August 15th) whether it is true that the Lambda variant was recently detected in Malaysia, which he replied to saying: “Not true. The latest genomic screening showed all 43 samples were the Delta variants as the dominant VOC.
“So far, no Lambda variants have been detected in our country,” he clarified.
What a relief!
He also said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) will be doing about 3,000 more genomic screening as soon as possible.
The Lambda variant, the first of its kind, was detected in Peru, a country in South America.
So far, the variant has spread to 26 other countries including major outbreaks in Chile, Argentina and Ecuador.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has labeled Lambda as a Variant of Interest (VOI).
The variant is said to be highly contagious and more resistant to vaccines than the original coronavirus that was detected in Wuhan, China.
Ahh, sounds scary!
Remember to take care of yourself and stay at home even if you are fully vaccinated, and only leave the house for essential matters.
Always follow the SOPs, maintain physical distancing, wear a face mask and wash your hands regularly. Stay safe, everyone!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
