Buzz
Last week, the buzz was about flurona. Now, the talk is all about “deltacron.” It’s natural to feel alarmed when a new variant emerges, given how many have impacted us so far. However, the alarming names often exceed the actual threats we need to fear.
Not too long ago, there was concern over “delta plus,” which eventually faded. Meanwhile, Delta proved to be a real threat with its severe spike, and Omicron remains a significant issue. So, how do we determine which variants deserve our attention?
Here’s a key insight: Panic isn’t warranted just because a virus gets a flashy new name. Instead, concern might be justified when a variant is added to the World Health Organization’s 'Variants of Concern' list. As of now, this list includes five: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. (There’s also a secondary list, Variants of Interest, currently featuring Lambda and Mu. A variant can move from VOI to VOC status.)
Why variants grab headlines even when they’re not significant
There are two key reasons to avoid early panic. First, variants must compete against each other in the real world. This is natural selection at work: if a variant struggles to reproduce, it won’t spread far. What typically makes variants of concern alarming is their increased transmissibility compared to earlier strains. Delta, for instance, is more contagious than the original COVID-19, and Omicron may surpass Delta in transmissibility. If a new variant appears threatening but struggles to spread, it’s unlikely to become a major issue.
Here’s the second reason: sometimes, the alarming new name doesn’t even represent a real virus. We saw this recently with “flurona,” when a few individuals contracted COVID-19 and the flu simultaneously, sparking countless headlines.
Flurona is neither a hybrid virus nor a unique threat; it’s simply an occasional, unfortunate coincidence. While doctors and scientists should monitor co-infections for potential special treatments, there’s no need for widespread alarm.
This brings us to deltacron, which initially seemed like a potential hybrid of Delta and Omicron. Scientists in Cyprus reported finding RNA sequences with mutations from both variants, but experts remain doubtful about its significance.
“This is almost certainly not a biological combination of the Delta and Omicron variants,” stated Jeffrey Barrett, a COVID genomics expert, in a statement to the UK’s Science Media Centre. He highlights that the alleged mutation aligns with a known technical glitch that can arise during testing, creating the illusion of a hybrid virus.
Other researchers have noted that the deltacron sequences don’t logically fit into the COVID variant family tree. If Delta and Omicron had truly merged in a rare event, infecting 25 people, you’d expect all samples to resemble each other and cluster together on the family tree. Instead, they don’t. Most experts interpret this as strong evidence of lab contamination, which affected these 25 otherwise distinct samples.
So, is deltacron real? Probably not. The team that initially identified the sequences insists they believe their findings are genuine, but further research is needed to confirm. Even if deltacron exists, there’s no current evidence suggesting it’s particularly unique or dangerous. If it proves to be a threat, we’ll find out soon enough. Until then, there’s no need for concern without evidence.
