GREAT VARIANT. You can be simultaneously infected by two Covid variants at the same time, confirms Public Health France. For example having Delta and Omicron (Deltacron). 10 cases of co-infections are confirmed in France. How do you know if you have a co-infection? A hybrid variant? Is it more dangerous? We take stock.
One can be simultaneously infected with two Covid variants such as the Delta variant and the Omicron variant. Public Health France confirms for the first time cases of co-infections and recombinations in France in his last variant risk analysis of Sars-Cov-2 published on February 23. Either we find the genetic material of both Delta and Omicron variants in the sampleor this co-infection has resulted in genetic recombination (“hybrid variant“). In the case of a recombination, two viruses infect the same cell, and each release their genetic heritage (RNA). This new virus therefore comes from two different viruses. In January 2022, Leondios Kostrikis, professor of the Department of biological sciences from the University of Cyprusannounced the discovery of a variant combining Delta and Omicron which he called “Deltacron“. Together with his team, they identified 25 cases of Deltacron whose sequences were sent to the international database Gisaid on January 7.
How to detect these co-infections and recombinations?
“These recombinants are difficult to detect because we do not know at first sight whether we are dealing with a co-infection or a hybrid. This is high-flying work in genomics.and” indicates Professor Bruno Lina, virologist, on France Inter Tuesday, March 1, 2022.”The detected cases are currently under investigation“says the head of the National Reference Center for Respiratory Infection Viruses in Lyon. It is within the framework of the sequencing carried out during the Flash surveys that the first cases of co-infections and recombinations appeared. At February 21, 2022Public Health France reference 10 cases of co-infections and recombinations: “10 sequences carried these three mutations, 9 of which were sequenced during the Flash investigations. These samples come from different regions and the oldest dates back to January 17.” “In France, enhanced monitoring of Delta/Omicron co-infections has been set up in order to detect possible recombinants as early as possible” adds Santé Publique France. Before recalling the context: “Since the end of 2021, an Omicron wave has overlapped with a Delta wave in several regions of the world. This co-circulation of two variants on a large scale increases the probability of co-infections and therefore that of recombinants. Several suspected Delta/Omicron recombinants have been reported recently in the UK, USA and Australiaand others are under investigation“.
What are the risks for infected individuals?
“These recombinants are subject to enhanced monitoringbecause they constitute major evolutionary events. It is difficult to predict what their characteristics will be in relation to the variants from which they are derived, and therefore their impact on public health in the event of circulation in the population.” emphasizes Public Health France. “At February 21, 2021, 59 probable Delta/Omicron co-infections have been identified in France” according to Public Health France.
Sources:
– Coronavirus: circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, Updated February 28, 2022, Public Health France.
– Flash surveys: evaluation of the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants in France, Updated on February 28, 2022, Public Health France.