More contagious Lambda variant of COVID-19 detected in Australia

The world's most transmissible COVID-19 strain has found its way into Australia – with worrying research revealing it may be even more infectious than the Delta variant.

The Lambda strain has puzzled World Health Organisation scientists after it spread to nearly 30 countries in the last four weeks.

The NZ Herald reports the mutation was originally discovered in Peru and is related to 81%  of the country's cases since April.

Peru currently has the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world.

In Australia, the variant was detected in an overseas traveller who had been in hotel quarantine in New South Wales in April, according to the national genomics database AusTrakka.

Early research shows it has not spread among the community in Australia.

Lambda has just started to make its way into the community in the UK, with six cases reported on Monday.

It is a worrying sign for the UK, which has recently relaxed COVID-19 restrictions after 37 million people received at least one dose of a vaccine.

[Source: NZ Herald]