A new strain of Coronavirus first discovered in Peru has now been found in areas of the UK.
The Lambda variant features an unusual set of "mutations" - which has concerned health officials in Latin American - as MirrorOnline reports.
Public Health England (PHE) began treating it as a "variant under investigation" in late June and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have categorised it as a variant of interest.
READ MORE: Delta plus’ variant makes up 95% of UK's new Covid cases
The variant, formerly known as C.37, is currently being monitored as scientists race to work out whether it is more transmissible than other strains, and whether it is more resistant to the antibodies provided by vaccination or previous Covid infection.
It has spread to at least 30 countries, including the UK - but this is so-far only in a handful of cases in Britain as the country continues to see a surge in cases due to onset of the Delta variant.
Here's everything you need to know about the Lambda variant and its presence in the UK:
What is the Lambda variant?
It is characterised by mutations in the spike protein, which has led scientists to investigate whether it has the potential to be more infectious.
Researchers are also exploring whether vaccines currently in use are effective against the variant.
Jeffrey Barrett, the UK's Wellcome Sanger Institute's Covid-19 Genomics Initiative director, spoke about the difficulty in testing the virulence of the strain due to its "unusual" set of mutations.
The top scientist also worried a lack of gene sequencing labs in South America had allowed the variant to spread undetected from its original source.
Where did the Lambda variant emerge?
The Lambda strain was first detected in Peru late last year and is now widespread across South America and the United States.
It has also popped up in other pockets of the world, but in much smaller numbers so far.
Reports say the variant now accounts for more than 80% of cases in Peru and has also been found in the UK and mainland Europe.
By the end of June, Lambda had been detected in: the UK, Chile, the US, Peru, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Ecuador, Israel, Colombia, France, Egypt, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Netherlands, Aruba, Portugal, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey, Australia, Curacao, and Zimbabwe.
Is the Lambda variant more infectious?
PHE says there is currently limited evidence on how Lambda's genomic changes affect infected people.
However when it officially highlighted the strain as a variant under investigation in June, it noted there was currently no evidence it caused more severe illness or was more resistant to jabs.
Scientists are investigating whether it's more transmissible due to the nature of how it spread so rapidly in Peru.
PHE has said there is still plenty of work to be done to work out the Lambda variant's full impact and how to control its spread.
The public health body said more research was needed to assess how effective the current vaccines in use are against the strain.
But early research shows promising signs of at least two jabs' strength against the mutation.
A pre-print study this week from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine found the Pfizer and Moderna jabs are effective against Lambda.
Have there been cases of the Lambda variant in the UK?
According to the latest PHE update , eight total confirmed and probable Lambda cases have been uncovered in the UK - all of them in England.
The public health body's last monitoring report said six confirmed cases had been traced.
The six were all picked up between February 23 and June 7.
Four cases were identified in London, one in England's South West and one in the West Midlands.
No deaths had been reported within 28 days of any of those cases.
What are the symptoms of the Lambda variant?
Research so far hasn't suggested any new symptoms different from infections with other variants.
The official three listed Covid symptoms in the UK remain: a new, continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss or change in sense of smell or taste.
People experiencing even just one of those classic three symptoms are urged to get a test.
But as growing numbers of the population get their first and second vaccine doses, experts have said there could be other signs.
Although it is still possible to catch the illness when you've been jabbed, experts say the risk of severe disease is dramatically lowered.
ZOE Covid app study researchers recently issued a helpful list of four 'cold-like' symptoms more commonly experienced by double-jabbed people who have caught the virus.
They are: a runny nose, headache, sneezing and sore throat.
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