Covid new variant: What is Deltacron, what symptoms does it have and how many cases are there in the UK?

‘Deltacron’, or ‘Deltamicron’ is the new Covid variant to look out for – it is a hybrid of both Omicron and the Delta variant, scientists have confirmed.

As of right now, its contagiousness and severity are unclear, though it is noted to be rare at this current moment.

Deltacron has been under research for almost a couple of months now, with its existence being disputed on several occasions. Initially, it was believed to have been the result of lab contamination.

However, further examination has led to Deltacron being confirmed as a new, hybrid variant of Covid.

The pathogen’s backbone chain is made from elements of the Delta variant, while the spike protein (the part of the virus that embeds itself into human cells) is derived from Omicron.

What are the symptoms of new Covid variant Deltacron?

As such, it shares symptoms with both variants – including a runny nose, persistent sneezing and coughing, headaches, and a sore throat.

You may also experience nausea or constant fatigue, even after no physical exertion.

It is believed that the genetic combination of these two Covid variants is the result of their concurrent circulation.

Where has Deltacron come from?

Deltacron was originally pinpointed in Cyprus, but has cropped up in several other European countries in the weeks following its discovery.

Since their initial dismissal of this new strain of Covid, scientists are now describing Deltacron as ‘the real thing’, though they also have made a note of its slow start and say that it ‘hasn’t taken off as a dominant strain yet’.

The emergence of this new variant coincides with a rise in Civud cases in Sheffield and a rise in Covid cases across the country, although there is no concrete correlation between the two occurrences as of yet.

How many Deltacron cases are there in the UK?

The actual number of confirmed cases of Deltacron in the UK is currently undisclosed, but it has been described as ‘very small’.

Meanwhile, in the USA, 41 cases of Deltacron have been confirmed.

Furthermore, due to high levels of vaccination amongst people in the UK, the built up immunity means that Deltacron is unlikely to pose a major threat to the public.

As well as this, due to it being made up of variants that have been previously vaccinated against, it’s unlikely to require a new dose to deal with.