HYBRID INFECTIONS OF DELTA AND OMICRON STRAINS REPORTED IN CYPRUS

Virologists have named the mutation ‘deltacron’. It is noted that the new strain is based on ‘delta’, but also contains ‘omicron’ mutations.

The head of the laboratory at the University of Cyprus Leontios Kostrikis announced the appearance of a new virus.  According to the researchers' data, 10 out of 30 omicron mutations have been found in the ‘deltacron’. The new virus has already been detected in 25 samples of biomaterials.

However, scientists from other countries doubt that the ‘deltacron’ really exists.

According to RIA Novosti, researchers around the world have doubts about the idea of   a hybrid strain in Cyprus.  It is more likely that these are only mixed viruses isolated from one patient.

However, scientists note that a hybrid virus may appear, since the strains have the ability to mix genomes, thus forming new dangerous combinations.  At the moment, omicron is gradually replacing delta, in the EU and the US, since it is a more infectious strain.

According to some reports, the omicron disease is easier to recover from.

When it comes to Russia, according to experts, the omicron will move to mass indicators by the end of January.  According to the latest data, 16,246 new infections were registered in the Russian Federation per day.  Moscow remains the leader in morbidity (3274), followed by St. Petersburg (1323) and the Moscow region (1124).