Omicron+Delta recombinant virus reported from Delhi, Maharashtra, other states: Report. Should you worry?

In a piece of worrying news, evidence of Omicron, Delta recombinant virus has been detected from India, a Telangana Today report suggested. India's COVID Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) and GSAID indicate that as many as 568 cases are under the scanner.

Popularly referred to as Deltacron, 25 such cases have been reported so far in Telangana while Karnataka remains a hotspot with 221, followed by 90 in Tamil Nadu, 66 in Maharashtra, 33 in Gujarat, 32 in West Bengal and 20 in New Delhi, Telangana Today report said.

It also added, the presence of genetic signatures of both Delta and Omicron variants in 568 Covid sequences is an indication of the presence of recombinant virus, which means it contains genetic elements of both Delta and Omicron or contains genes from both the variants.

Should you be worried about the new strain?

Earlier this month, the first solid evidence of Delta + Omicron recombinant, hybrid version of the coronavirus that combine genes from the Delta and Omicron variants, was found by experts. Philippe Colson of IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille, France, who is the lead author for the study, "During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, two or more variants have co-circulated during same periods of time and in same geographical areas... This created opportunities for recombination between these two variants."

Cases were detected from Europe and America. The experts pointed out that there have been so few confirmed cases, it is too soon to know whether Deltacron infections will be very transmissible or cause severe disease.

What WHO said on Omicron Delta recombinant virus?

Regarding Omicron and Delta recombinant, World Health Organisation officials said, this is to be expected, especially with the intense circulation of omicron and delta.

“Currently, no changes are being observed in its severity and transmissibility, but several studies are underway on the topic. At this stage, testing and sequencing remain critical,” WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove pointed out.

Meanwhile, WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan said on Twitter, “We have known that recombinant events can occur, in humans or animals, with multiple circulating variants of SARSCoV2. Need to wait for experiments to determine the properties of this virus. Importance of sequencing, analytics and rapid data sharing, as we deal with this pandemic.”