The Indonesian government is monitoring the development of the Deltacron variant of COVID-19, a combination of Delta and Omicron mutations which has been detected in Europe. the Health Ministry said.

“Its development is still being monitored. Because there is no evidence of an increase in transmission, severity, and others,” Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Vaccination at the Health Ministry, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said through a written statement received here on Sunday.

Scientists had confirmed a new COVID-19 variant, which was a combination of Omicron and Delta variants, with cases reported in several European countries.

The variant, dubbed ‘Deltacron’, was confirmed by genome sequencing conducted by scientists at IHU Mediterranee Infection in Maseille, France. The variant has been detected in several areas in France.

According to the international database Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), cases of the Deltacron variant were also found in Denmark and the Netherlands.

Other than those, two cases were identified in the United States and a reported 30 cases were identified in the United Kingdom.

These variants were hybrids born through a process called recombination, in which two viral variants infect individuals simultaneously, thus resulting in exchange of genetic material and creating new variants.

Tarmizi ensured that the government continued to monitor the condition while at the same time promoting COVID-19 vaccination to boost the vaccination rate.

“Yes, it means that in dealing with any potential transmission, the expedition of booster and primary vaccinations must be (done),” she reminded.

An expert from YARSI University, Prof Tjandra Yoga Aditama, stated that Deltacron was a combination of BA.1 and B.1617.2, and currently listed as variant surveillance report.

He stated that Deltacron had been reported in Cyprus since 2021. However, many thought this virus was simply a dirt in the laboratory.

Source: Antara News