What was touted as a lab error a few months earlier, Delta + Omicron recombinant virus turns out to be a reality now with some solid evidence. And issuing a warning regarding the same, World Health Organisation also said that considering both Delta and Omicron are circulating wildly, ‘this was expected.’ Since only a few cases have been detected so far, it is too early to say whether it can cause severe infections.
What is Delta + Omicron recombinant virus?
It is a hybrid version of the coronavirus that combine genes from the Delta and Omicron variants. Philippe Colson of IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille, France, who is the lead author for the study, noted that genetic recombinations of coronaviruses have been known to happen when two variants infect the same host cells.
"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."
How quickly does it spread?
So far, 17 confirmed cases of the recombinant virus have been detected so far in the US and Europe.
His team described three patients in France infected with a version of SARS-CoV-2 that combines the spike protein from an Omicron variant with the "body" of a Delta variant.
Another two unrelated Deltacron infections have been identified in the United States, according to an unpublished report by genetics research company Helix that has been submitted to medRxiv and seen by Reuters.
On virus research bulletin boards, other teams have reported an additional 12 Deltacron infections in Europe since January - all with an Omicron spike and a Delta body.
Can the recombinant virus cause severe infection?
Because there have been so few confirmed cases, it is too soon to know whether Deltacron infections will be very transmissible or cause severe disease. Echoing the similar view, WHO said, currently, no changes are being observed in its severity and transmissibility, but several studies are underway on the topic. At this stage, testing remains critical.
Colson, however, assured that his team has designed a PCR test that "can quickly test positive samples for the presence of this... virus."
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