Scientists in France are studying a new 'hybrid' Covid variant containing elements of both the Omicron and Delta strains.
Deltacron, as it has been named, is a recombinant variant, which is likely to have emerged as a result of both strains of coronavirus replicating in the same person, scientists say.
The Pasteur Institute in France has now shared the first solid evidence for this variant, which has been found in the UK as well as France and the US, the Guardian reports.
READ MORE: Covid rates surge across England amid new 'hybrid' variant - as Government prepares to ease rules
It comes as the UK recorded a rise in infection rates in all four nations. The government said it would be “continuing to monitor the situation very carefully” amid a rise in case rates in children's hospitals and among the elderly.
However, asked whether he had any concerns around Deltacron, the health secretary said health officials were "not concerned" about any sub-variants of Omicron in the UK.
Here's what we know about the new variant - and what scientists have said about the impact it may have.
What is Deltacron?
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, told the Guardian that recombinant variants, such as Deltacron, "arise when more than one variant infects and replicates in the same person, in the same cells".
He explained that Deltacron is "a product of both the Delta and Omicron variants circulating in the same population".
Dr Etienne Simon-Loriere said the strains of Delta and Omicron could have in fact formed several different recombinant viruses.
He said that while some cases found in Europe could be the same recombinant being transmitted through travel, the cases found in the UK differ from those found in France. Dr Simon-Loriere suggested that different versions of Deltacron may need to be identified with numbers in the future to tell them apart.
At a briefing earlier this week, Dr Catherine Smallwood, senior emergency officer for the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Europe, said they were liaising with scientists in Cyprus about potential hybrid variants.
However, she suggested cases of Deltacron could have occurred due to contamination of specimens.
"It does at this stage look like it could be the result of laboratory contamination rather than a new variant or new recombination between two variants," she said.
Where has Deltacron been identified?
The variant is likely to have been circulating since the start of the year, scientists have said.
France has recorded cases in several regions, while the Netherlands and Denmark have also seen cases of the variant.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed last month that one case of variant with aspects of Delta and Omicron had been discovered in the UK. The case had developed in an individual who had contracted both variants, it said.
Further cases of the recombinant variant are expected to be confirmed in the coming days, reports suggest.
Reuters reports that a total of 17 cases have bee identified across the United States and Europe.
Are scientists concerned?
Only a small number of cases of Deltacron have been identified so far, so information around its severity is lacking.
However, scientists have suggested there is no reason to think Deltacron will be able to escape protection from the vaccines.
As the vaccines are effective against both variants, there is little concern that Deltacron will be able to evade them.
Asked if he had any concerns over the Deltacron variant during a visit to Birmingham Children’s Hospital on Friday, Health secretary Sajid Javid: “There are variants that we would obviously keep under review.
“The most recent one of concern has been Omicron but we have successfully navigated our way through that as a country thanks to the response of the British people.
“There are also so-called subvariants of Omicron and we’re not concerned about any of those at this important time.
“We keep it under review but we have no concerns at all.”
His comments come as figures show that all nations have seen a simultaneous week-on-week increase in coronavirus infections.
Figures published by the ONS infection survey said that across the UK as a whole, 2.6 million people were estimated to have coronavirus last week, up from 2.4 million. The number stood at 4.3 million at the start of the year.
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