A new hybrid variant, combining both the omicron and delta variants of SARS-CoV-2, has been confirmed through genomic sequencing, temporarily referred to as “deltacron.”
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) cited information from scientists at IHU Méditerranée Infection in Marseille, France, regarding the discovery of a new Covid-19 combination, which is a mix of the two most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variants: delta and omicron.
This variant combines both omicron and delta variants.
It is known that the hybrid variant arises through a process called recombination—when two variants of the virus infect a patient simultaneously, leading to the exchange of genetic material to create a new hybrid offspring.
Scientists state that the “backbone” of the “deltacron” variant comes from the delta variant, while the mutated protein that allows the virus to infiltrate host cells is derived from omicron.
“We found that the recombination process can occur in humans or animals, with many circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2,” said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, a scientist at the WHO. However, he emphasized that “more experiments are needed to clarify the characteristics of this virus strain.”
Maria Von Kerkhove, the technical lead at WHO, added that so far, scientists have not observed any changes in the severity of the new variant compared to previous variants. However, compared to earlier variants like delta and omicron, this new variant does not seem to spread as easily.
More experiments are needed to clarify the characteristics of this virus strain.
Typically, mutations occur steadily until one mutation is strong enough to become a new variant. In this case, multiple different mutations may have occurred, possibly as a strategy for delta to continue surviving amidst the omicron wave.
Dr. William Lee, Chief Scientific Officer at Helix, warned that co-infection cases (simultaneous infections with multiple Covid-19 variants) may occur more frequently than we think, as most are very difficult to detect.
While suggesting that people may not need to worry excessively about “deltacron,” Dr. Lee believes researchers can learn a lot from the evolution of this latest variant.
“It’s an interesting phenomenon, and it helps us understand more about how the virus evolves and how the pandemic continues to unfold,” he stated.
