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The alleged detection of a mixed variant of delta and omicron in Cyprus is probably due to contamination during analysis, according to experts.
“These genomes are most likely artifacts,” Richard Neher of the University of Basel (Switzerland), a leading expert on viral variants, explained to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
He said the omicron mutations observed here in a context of delta genome sequences all affect a DNA segment that is often very weak in delta detections and therefore highly susceptible to contamination. Other experts expressed similar views on Twitter, such as WHO expert Maria van Kerkhove: the result was probably due to impurities during sequencing.
No major outbreaks observed
Earlier, reports circulated with reference to an interview with local station Sigma TV, according to which Leontios Kostrikis of the University of Cyprus claims to have identified 25 cases in which a mixed variant of delta and omicron – called deltacron – was the cause of the infections.
“While it is certainly possible that recombinants exist, no major outbreaks with such variants have been observed to date,” Neher stressed. “These genomes from Cyprus are probably not recombinants.”
A member of Greece’s Corona pandemic crisis team, Gikas Magiorkinis, also said Kostrikis’ conclusions were wrong. “Initial analysis shows that it was a technical error by the laboratory,” the epidemiologist tweeted. Kostrikis himself, however, would not initially concede a miscalculation, insisting Monday that his findings were correct.
- source: k.at/picture: pixabay.com
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