How much more contagious is the new strain of COVID C.37 “Lambda”?
The Delta variant, already identified in over 30 US States, was said to dominate other strains in the coming weeks unless the United States immediately stepped on the gas with surveillance and testing efforts. The strain is more easily spread and became the more dominant strain, in the United Kingdom, where it was first identified.
But this week, we have learned the newest variant of interest, known to scientists as C.37 “Lambda”, was first identified in Peru and has been detected in samples dating back to as early as December 2020. The fear is, this strand may be resistant to COVID-19 vaccines.
As we know, all viruses mutate, and most mutations don’t change how the virus affects us. But sometimes, the mutations, as in the Delta variant, can make the virus more contagious – meaning if exposed to the variant strain, your risk of becoming infected is higher than with other strains, or in the C.37 case, feared to be resistant to the vaccines. And if infected with these variant strains, you are more likely to spread your COVID-19 to others — meaning each person infected with the variant strain spreads it to more people, on average, than they would have if infected with the earlier strains.
What does this mean to Colleges and Club Sports?
When many campuses opened last fall and Club Sports began championship play, outbreaks raced throughout the dorms and infected hundreds of thousands of students, athletes, coaches and administration staff, which also spread throughout the communities. We all know and have read the recent devastating numbers on deaths and hospitalizations.
But unfortunately, increasing testing is not an option for some colleges or Club teams, with very small budgets, or with athletes simply too young to be eligible to receive the vaccine. So, what can we possibly do to try and control this beast during a global pandemic with little to no budget and allow the games to continue?
Colleges & Club Sports Solution!
Vivature is a Dallas, Texas based firm and recently named one of the “Top 25 Emerging Sports Technology Firms” in the country. During the onset of the pandemic, Vivature partnered with Diamond Physicians and Quidel, the manufacturer of COVID-19 tests, to mass provide COVID testing resources to their 400+ collegiate partners at a budget-friendly cost. They have branched out to provide the same resources to not only Universities, but K-12 schools, Club Sport Organizations and Teams as well as Professional Sport Leagues across America. Vivature as a company has always prided itself on its cutting-edge technology, excellent customer service, and committed partnership to their clients.
This has shown to be proven true throughout the pandemic. Their agents strived to consult each partner school with the latest news, available technology and tools to recoup some of the costs associated with testing and surveillance, and helping budgets that the pandemic wreaked havoc on.
“We encourage you to reach out to Vivature and see what solution would work best for your situation, as we understand each one is unique”, stated Vivature’s Executive Vice President, Lance Wilson.
