LOS ANGELES - Several mutations of the deadly novel coronavirus are drawing attention and causing serious concern among medical experts over their transmissibility, and a new study from Japanese researchers suggests that an already-circulating variant could penetrate the protection of current COVID-19 vaccines.
While the delta variant ravages much of the U.S., driving up cases and hospitalizations mostly among the unvaccinated, another variant known as lambda is devastating parts of South America, and scientists now worry it could neutralize or evade antibodies generated by vaccines.In a not-yet-peer-reviewed study published on July 28 on bioRxiv by researchers in Japan, researchers said the lambda variant currently driving cases in 26.