According to preliminary reports from South American and Japanese scientists, the Lambda variant may possess an increased resistance to vaccines.
On Friday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan passed 1 million and the arrival of Lambda can further complicate matters.
The source said there was a plan to announce the variant’s detection but not until after the Olympics.
Typically, the Minister of Health has a press conference when a major new variant is discovered in Japan for the first time.
After determining that it was a British variant, the health ministry announced it eight days later, on Dec. 27.
In Peru, where the variant was first discovered, more than 90 percent of infections are now traced to the Lambda variant.
The research team at Tokyo University believes the variant “has potential to be a threat to human society.”. »
