1,470 Covid cases confirmed as new Lambda and Mu variants reported in Ireland
The Lambda variant was first detected in Peru in December 2020 but was not considered a Variant of Interest by WHO until June 14 this year. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Public health officials have identified 1,470 new cases of Covid-19 today.
367 patients are reported to be in hospital receiving treatment for the virus, a decline of 17 compared to yesterday, with 59 of those admitted to intensive care.
Six people were admitted to intensive care in the last 24 hours while four people were discharged.
The Department of Health has said today's five-day moving average of case numbers is 1,381 and is a better indication of Covid infection levels in the country despite today's fall in hospitalisation figures.
When compared to last week, today's five-day moving average represents a 16% decline.
It follows a recent decline in case numbers as Covid-19 incidence rates continue their recent decline.
Monaghan, Donegal, Cavan, and Leitrim have the highest 14-day incidence rates in the country.
Since the outbreak began, 359,420 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed-however today's data is subject to future validation the Department of Health has said-as more cases may be identified and backdated.
The death toll from the virus now stands at 5,112 Covid-related fatalities and is now reported weekly on Wednesday instead of daily after the HSE cyber attack a number of months ago.
There was no data provided today for Covid-related deaths as a result.
The latest case data comes as 11 cases linked with the latest Covid-19 variants of interest were reported in Ireland.
Lambda and Mu have both been designated as Variants of Interest (VoI) by the World Health Organization (WHO) in recent months.
According to the latest data from the Gisaid variant tracker, there have been four cases of the Lambda variant reported in the Republic and one case in the North.
This variant was first detected in Peru in December 2020 but was not considered a VoI by WHO until June 14 this year.
By April 2021, Peru reported that 81% of Covid cases sequenced were associated with Lambda.
To date, cases of Lambda have been reported in 40 countries around the world with the majority located in Peru, Chile and the US. It is now considered the dominant variant in Argentina, Chile and Colombia.
However, cases appear to be declining in recent weeks with no new Lambda cases reported in Peru in the past four weeks while there have been 19 cases in Chile and six in the US over the same period.
When adding the variant, also known as C.37, to the list of VoIs, WHO said: "Lambda has been associated with substantive rates of community transmission in multiple countries, with rising prevalence over time concurrent with increased Covid-19 incidence."
Lambda carries a number of mutations which are suspected to lead to a potential increase in transmissibility or increased resistance to neutralizing antibodies.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19, said the organisation is tracking the strain as some have warned it could be more transmissible than the Delta variant.
WHO said preliminary data has shown the Mu or B.1.621 variant has the potential to evade immunity provided by vaccines and antibodies.
The most recent VoI, Mu, has also been detected in Ireland with four cases reported in the Republic and two in the North.
Mu was designated a VoI by WHO on August 30 and has been reported in 45 countries to date.
Mu was first detected in Colombia in January 2021 and has since seen some sporadic reports of cases and some larger outbreaks reported in South America and Europe.
"Although the global prevalence of the Mu variant among sequenced cases has declined and is currently below 0.1%, the prevalence in Colombia (39%) and Ecuador (13%) has consistently increased," WHO said in its weekly Epidemiological Update.
"The reported prevalence should be interpreted with due consideration of sequencing capacities and timeliness of sharing of sequences, both of which vary between countries."
WHO said preliminary data has shown the Mu or B.1.621 variant has the potential to evade immunity provided by vaccines and antibodies.
Data shows “a reduction in neutralization capacity of convalescent and vaccine sera similar to that seen for the Beta variant”.
However, WHO said further study is needed to confirm suspected similarities with the variant first detected in South Africa.
Speaking about the Mu variant last week, Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said there is “no real suggestion that it will be capable of out-competing Delta at this stage”.
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