DELTACRON

What Does DELTACRON Mean?

DELTACRON means "Coronavirus Variant."

Deltacron is the nickname given to a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. It is a combination of genes from the Delta and Omicron strains of the virus that causes Covid-19 disease. Scientists call viruses such as Deltacron "recombinants."

A False Alarm

A potential Deltacron recombinant was first identified in Cyprus, in January 2022. However, detailed analysis later concluded that cross-contamination between samples had led researchers to draw a false conclusion.

In February 2022, analysis of samples taken in France, seemed to indicate the existence of a recombinant of Delta and Omicron. Further study of samples from the Netherlands and Denmark confirmed this conclusion.

Cases of Deltacron have now also been detected in Germany and, possibly, in the UK and the US. (The cases in the UK and US may not be related to those in mainland Europe, or to each other.)

A Cause for Concern?

It is not unusual for a person to be infected with two strains of a virus, especially during the transition from one dominant strain to another. There have been many reported cases of infection with both Delta and Omicron. However, recombinants are less common.

When recombinants emerge, the vast majority will be evolutionary dead ends, as viruses with mixtures of genes are unlikely to inherit only the best genes (from the point of view of their evolution) or the worst ones (from the point of view of our evolution!) from their ancestors. There is no reason to believe that the vaccines currently available will not give protection against Deltacron.

Should We Call it Deltacron?

It is important to note that Deltacron is an informal nickname that has been given to this new variant of the virus. An official name will probably be allocated by the WHO in the coming weeks.

Deltacron is also sometimes known as Deltamicron.

Further information on COVID-19 can be found on the WHO's website at: Advice for the public: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Example of DELTACRON Used in a Text