What we know about this hybrid variant

According to GISAID, an international database of virus sequences, about 75 cases of AY.4 / BA.1 have been reported worldwide, so the increase in infectious diseases registered in Europe and elsewhere is “Deltacron. “Variants,” said Ross Keddle, a professor of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado at Anschutz School of Medicine.

Still, “people are watching it very carefully,” says Richard Kennedy, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic and co-director of the Vaccine Research Group.

How hybrids occur

At a recent press conference, Van Kerhof said, “The emergence of hybrids, also known as recombinants, is not entirely unexpected given the” massive circulation seen in both Omicron and Delta “during the winter. Said that. This is two strains of virus (in this case, delta And Omicron) infect individuals at the same time. When the virus replicates, information is exchanged and “the genetic material recombines to create a new strain,” Keddle explains.

Some viruses go through this recombinant process more than others, but are particularly common among coronaviruses, Gary, a professor of virology, microbiology, and immunology at Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine. Whittaker points out. “They are like masters of recombination,” he says.

For Deltacron, according to Kennedy, we are worried about the worst characteristics of each variant: the infectivity of Omicron and the ability of Delta to cause more serious illnesses. “The opposite can be true,” says Kennedy. “I don’t know because there weren’t that many cases … This suggests that this isn’t a big deal so far.”

So far, WHO officials have stated that Deltacron has not yet seen any changes in the frequency and severity of the disease. Influenza strain “These recombination events need to be monitored very carefully,” said the recombination. Several studies are underway for more details.

“I think there’s more academic interest right now. It doesn’t really make a difference to the average person,” Whittaker says. “But we just have to wait and see.”

Experts warn about additional variants

In order for Deltacron to reach the point of concern, it must defeat BA.2, which is “much more contagious than the original Omicron,” says Kennedy. “So there is a difficult battle for deltacron to take over and start causing many cases.”

The overall number of cases of COVID-19 is declining in the United States, but the presence of BA.2 is increasing. According to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), BA.2 will blame about 35% of COVID-19 cases in the country, starting from about 1.5% in early February. Subvariants are also behind the recent surge in Europe.

Regardless of the fate of Deltacron, experts expect more variants to emerge as the virus continues to circulate. However, limiting the spread of the virus can reduce the number of variants that emerge. This is to “give the virus the opportunity to hatch new variants” each time it is infected, “explains Kennedy. “Therefore, whatever we can do to limit the infection is fine.”

Increase the proportion of the population Vaccination One way to do this.Vaccines are the most effective Prevention of severe illness, They also reduce the risk of infection, the CDC says. And if the number of cases surges, putting the mask back on and increasing the distance between you and others a little longer is an additional way to control the infection, says Kennedy. WHO officials also emphasize the importance of treating people infected with COVID-19 to prevent prolonged infection.

“We can’t spread this virus at such a violent level. It doesn’t mean trapping people or trapping them in the house. It means using a simple tool with a layered approach. “Testing and ordering are also key to understanding variants,” said Van Kerkhove. “We need to handle this virus well. We need to deploy the right system to see the changes and understand what the virus changes mean.”