The Cypriot authorities have reported the detection of up to 25 cases of infection with a combined version of the delta and omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that they have named ‘deltacron’.
“There are currently omicron and delta co-infections. We have found one variant that is a combination of both“, explained Leondios Kostrikis, professor of Biology at the University of Cyprus and director of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology.
Kostrikis has explained in statements to the Signa TV chain that the new variant has the genetic signature of omicron variant and delta variant genomes.
So far Kostrikis and his team have identified 25 cases of ‘deltacron’ and have highlighted that are more frequent in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 than in non-hospitalized positives.
On January 7, samples of the 25 patients detected were sent to the GISAID international database of the Pasteur Institute, in charge of publishing the official sequencing of the new variants of influenza and coronavirus.
“We will see in the future if this variant is more pathological or contagious or if it will be imposed“a delta and omicron, he has indicated, although in his opinion it is most likely to be overshadowed by the omicron variant as it is more contagious.
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