Combination Of Delta And Omicron Identified As Covid-19

10 March 2022 Coronavirus

Coronavirus hybrids combining genes from the Delta and Omicron types, called "Deltacron," have been found in at least 17 people in the United States and Europe, according to researchers.

Because there have been so few confirmed cases, it's too early to say whether Deltacron infections will be highly transmissible or cause severe disease, according to Philippe Colson of the IHU Mediterranee Infection in Marseille, France, who is the lead author of a report that was published on medRxiv on Tuesday ahead of peer review. Three patients in France were infected with a SARS-CoV-2 variant that combines the spike protein of an Omicron variant with the "body" of a Delta variant, according to his team.

According to an undisclosed paper by genetics research firm Helix that was submitted to medRxiv and obtained by Reuters, two more unrelated Deltacron infections have been discovered in the United States.

Other teams have reported an additional 12 Deltacron cases in Europe since January, all with an Omicron spike and a Delta body, on virus research message boards.

When two human coronavirus variants infect the same host cell, genetic recombination has been observed. "During the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, two or more varieties circulated at the same time and in the same geographic locations... "This allowed for recombination between these two versions," Colson explained, adding that his group has developed PCR tests that "can promptly screen-positive samples for the presence of this... virus."

Coronavirus is detected with excellent accuracy by dogs

A new study adds to the growing body of evidence that trained canines can assist screen crowds for people infected with the coronavirus.

335 individuals gave sweat samples as part of traditional PCR tests at two community screening clinics in Paris. Overall, PCR results showed that 78 persons with symptoms and 31 people without symptoms were positive. According to a paper published on medRxiv on Tuesday ahead of peer review, when given sweat samples to smell, the canines were 97 percent accurate in detecting infected patients and 100 percent accurate in detecting infection in asymptomatic patients. They were also 94% successful in identifying participants who were not sick and 91% accurate in ruling out the virus in persons who were not affected.

The scientists stated, "Canine testing is non-invasive and offers rapid and trustworthy results." "Further research will focus on direct dog smelling to evaluate sniffer dogs for mass pre-testing in airports, harbors, railway stations, cultural activities, or athletic events," says the report.

Future variants of concern are almost certainly present in today's patients.

New research suggests that among the countless coronavirus particles found within an infected individual are some altered ones that could turn out to be early examples of significant variations.

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