Deltacron is only widely discussed in February 2022Jakarta (ANTARA) - YARSI University Postgraduate Director Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama affirmed that Deltacron is a new variant derived from a combination of BA.1 and B.1617.2 identified by British authorities as a report under monitoring.
Currently, reports have been received of this Deltacron hybrid variant, which is referred to as the combination of the BA.1 and B.1617.2 variants. In the UK, this variant is included in the Variant Surveillance Report," Aditama noted in a written statement on Friday.
Aditama remarked that the emergence of the Deltacron variant had been reported in Cyprus since 2021, but at that time, several people viewed the virus as only being a contamination in the laboratory.
Thereafter, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), on January 7, 2022, sent 25 Deltacron variant sequences to a global genome data collection site called GISAID.
"Deltacron is only widely discussed in February 2022," he stated.
Related news: Omicron stoking global economic uncertainty: Indrawati
Tjandra, concurrently professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI), drew attention to a suspicion that a new variant of Deltacron was formed in someone, who was infected with two variants -- BA.1 and B.1617.2 -- at once. "However, it is not yet clear whether it occurred in the UK or a case of being imported into the country," he remarked.
Meanwhile, the WHO, in early January of 2022, said it was likely that a person could be infected with several variants of SARS-CoV-2 that caused COVID-19 at once.
"It is like someone who is infected with COVID-19 and at the same time also infected with Influenza," he remarked.
The former director of Infectious Diseases of WHO Southeast Asia 2018-2020 ensured that at this time, no official information had been received from UKHSA on the possibility of transmission and symptoms from Deltacron.
Related news: Govt bolsters strategies as Omicron wave sweeps Indonesia
"Although some experts have expressed their opinions about Deltacron, we still need to wait for some time," he stressed.
Aditama remarked that Deltacron and Delmicron, being widely discussed by the public since December 2021, were two different variants.
"Delmicron was earlier referred to as a hybrid of the Delta variant and Omicron variant. However, that is not true. The term Delmicron only stems from the response of Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the task force from the Indian state of Maharashtra, who was interviewed by the media. It does not come from a scientific journal," he clarified.
Related news: COVID-19 cases projected to increase in next few days: official
Aditama noted that authorities in India, including well-known ones, such as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had never provided information on Delmicron.
"There is also no statement from any official organization in India. Moreover, there is no explanation from other experts, who mention about Delmicron," he remarked.
Related news: Undergo COVID-19 testing after close contact with patients: Ministry
Related news: Java-Bali daily cases down in comparison with Delta's peak
Translator: Katriana
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
