Newsweek Magazine A Doomsday COVID Variant Worse Than Delta and Lambda Could Be Coming Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 24 August 2021 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Newsweek Magazine A Doomsday COVID Variant Worse Than Delta and Lambda Could Be Coming The novel coronavirus as seen under a microscope. Courtesy of the National Institutes of Health. Newsweek Magazine recently published an article featuring Eric Vail, MD, director of Molecular Pathology in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, discussing potential future variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Variants develop when viruses like SARS-CoV-2 replicate inside the body but fail to make an exact copy of their genetic material. The resulting mutation can give the virus different characteristics. Vail explained that this mutation process is how the delta variant emerged and started spreading. "There were four variants that arose in India, and three of them had some ability to evade immunity," Vail told Newsweek. "The fourth one was delta, which didn't have as strong an evading mutation, and that's the one that spread." Most viruses are slow to mutate, and few variants emerge that spread widely in the course of a year. But with so many people declining to get vaccinated against COVID-19, they become living "mutation labs" for SARS-CoV-2, according to Newsweek. When a virus has so many opportunities to evolve, it increases the odds that a dangerous new version will arise. Vail believes a new variant could materialize that is even more transmissible, even though the delta variant already is five times more contagious than the original version of SARS-CoV-2. This new mutation might even be a threat to the one-third of the U.S. population that has recovered from COVID-19. Their natural immunity would be no match for this powerful version. "It won't be enough to guarantee that the delta variant will be the last big variant," Vail told Newsweek. Click here to read the complete article from Newsweek and click here to read the complete article in Spanish. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Newsweek Magazine A Doomsday COVID Variant Worse Than Delta and Lambda Could Be Coming Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home