Deltacron: According to a researcher based in Cyprus, there is a strain of the novel coronavirus which is a result of the combination of both Delta and Omicron variants. This strain is currently being addressed as ‘Deltacron‘. When the world is already in the grip of Omicron, reports of this new variant are definitely worrisome. However, according to a media report, experts have suggested that this variant is not even real and that there is nothing to worry about at the moment. Here’s everything we know so far:
Why ‘Deltacron’?
It has been alleged by Leondios Kostrikis, professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus and head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology, that the new Covid-19 strain ‘Deltacron’ was found in Cyprus. “There are currently omicron and delta co-infections and we found this strain that is a combination of these two,” Kostrikis said in an interview with Sigma TV on Friday. He also informed that the new strain of coronavirus was named ‘Deltacron’ due to the identification of Omicron-like genetic signatures within the delta genomes.
How many cases are reported?
The statistical analysis by Kostrikis and his team have likely identified 25 cases of Deltacron, and the team also showed that the relative frequency of the combined strain is higher in patients hospitalized for covid-19 as compared to non-hospitalized, reported Bloomberg.
Is ‘Deltacron’ an actual variant?
There is still a lot to debate on whether ‘Deltacron’ is an actual variant or not. However some media reports have quoted Virologist Tom Peacock as saying on social media, “So when new variants come through sequencing lab, contamination isn’t that uncommon (very very tiny volumes of liquid can cause this) – just usually these fairly clearly contaminated sequences are not reported by major media outlets.”
It is important to note here that ‘Deltacron’ is not the official name given to the strain by the World Health Organization (WHO) and it is not an officially acknowledged variant either.
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