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"Delta Croon" coming? WHO experts are skeptical

The new crown mutant strains are emerging in an endless stream, and "Delta Kerong" has recently attracted global attention.

According to US media reports, researchers at the University of Cyprus are suspected of finding a mixed strain of Delta and Olmiqueron in the local area, which is genetically very close to the Delta strain, and also has a large number of variants unique to the Olmiqueron strain. The researchers tentatively named it Delta Croon.

A team led by Rayondyworth Cos regis, a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee on COVID-19 of the President of the Republic of Cyprus and director of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology at the University of Cyprus, has been tracking the mutation of the new coronavirus in the country, and after sequencing 1377 samples, the team found that 25 people were infected with the new strain, whose genetic sequence is close to that of the Delta strain, but has 10 unique variants of the Omiljung strain. At the same time, as many as 14 of the 25 infected people were hospitalized.

Cos Reggies said: "There are currently co-infections with the Ami kerong and Delta strains, and we have found a variant of the recombination of the two. "The analysis shows that this variant is more common in inpatients than in hospitalized patients." The team has uploaded the strain genome to the GISAID international database and will continue to see if the variant is more pathogenic or contagious, or whether it becomes endemic.

However, the discovery of new hybrid strains is controversial.

KUPARI, a member of the WHO new crown epidemic team, said in a social media post on the 10th that "there is no Delta Kejong strain", saying that this may be in the laboratory, and the specimen of the Delta strain is mixed with the Omicron strain.

"Delta Croon" coming? WHO experts are skeptical

Later, Maria VanKelkhof, technical director of WHO's health emergency project, also posted that the reason for the emergence of "Deltakron" is likely that the laboratory was contaminated during the sequencing process.

Van Krkhof calls on everyone to stop using the term "Deltakron", "these words imply a combination of viruses/variants, and this does not happen." 'Delta Croon' may have been contaminated during sequencing (the sample). ”

"Delta Croon" coming? WHO experts are skeptical

In addition, Fisher, chairman of the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, also said in an interview with The Paper that restructuring is common in the new crown virus, and the restructuring form of Delta and Omilon is not entirely surprising.

He noted that it will take time to confirm the reports of Cypriot scientists that the discovery of "Delta Kerong" is not as worrisome as Omilton.

Beijing Daily (ID: Beijing_Daily) Comprehensive Science and Technology Daily, CCTV, The Paper, China News Network [Please indicate the source: Beijing Daily WeChat public account]

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