COVID-19: WHO provides update on spread of Deltacron in UK

In a press briefing on Friday, March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) will outline the details of the spread of the Deltacron hybrid variant of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom.

The Deltacron is a hybrid variant of Delta and Omicron Covid. The WHO confirms that the cases of the mutant combination of Delta and Omicron have been found in the UK.

Moreover, the WHO stated it is ‘monitoring and discussing’ the variant following research into the strain. Health chiefs told the sources that a “very small” number of cases have been detected in the UK, but more details are to be reported in a briefing on Friday, March 11.

A cluster of cases of infections have also been detected in France.

Professor of evolution and genomics at the University of Oxford, Aris Katzourakis, stated: “It is a one to keep an eye on. This variant is legit.”
Dr Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds, stated: “While it does not seem to have taken off as a dominant strain yet, this could be due to a very slow start based upon seeding density – the figures of initial cases,” he stated.

“There are numerous scenarios that can play out here in terms of what this means for individuals that become infected with the virus as this combination of viral proteins may act differently to either parent.

“The French cluster appears to be a validated occurrence where a recombination event has given incline to a virus fit enough to spread.”

Furthermore, last month, the UK Health Security Agency announced it was investigating a variant named “Delta x Omicron Recombinant (UK)”.

However, as of now, it is not known if this variant is linked to the French-based Deltacron. Data shows that hospitalisation in the United Kingdom has shown an ‘uptick’ in the past fortnight.

In addition, there are also concerns over the spread of Stealth Covid or BA.2 Coronavirus.

The Head of the UKHSA, Dr Jenny Harries, stated: “The increasing presence of the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron and the current slight increase in infections in those over 55 show that the pandemic is not over yet and we can expect to see Covid spreading at high levels.”