COVID-19: HOW WORRIED SHOULD WE BE ABOUT "DELTACRON"?

There has been concern that a new variant of COVID could arise.  Such as having the potency of the Delta lineage with the high transmissibility of Omicron.

Institut Pasteur has now provided  the raw sequencing of the new 'Deltacron' variant, showing:

• Core backbone derived from Delta
• Spike protein of Omicron, which is what makes Omicron so transmissible
  

Recombinant viruses like this can arise when someone is infected with two variants at the same time, and the viruses then replicate together.

On the face of it, this 'Deltacron' cross-variant could be a major problem.  Fortunately it is believed to have originated in January, without it spreading uncontrollably.  So we can rest easy for now.  But we must remain vigilant for this or some other worrying variant taking hold.

That's why it is worrying that the British Government has scaled back anti-Covid measures too hastily.

 

https://twitter.com/macroliter/status/1501260671576539143?s=20&t=STrmnSGF-NY84R_b54J7HA