Sena Nakajima / Staff reporter
On January 10th, a new variant of Covid-19 was discovered in Cyprus, Turkey. It has been named “Deltacron” as it appears to be the combination of the delta and omicron variant.
As reported by CNBC, Konstrikis and his team said they had found 25 cases of the mutation. The lab data has been sent to GISAID, an international database, and it will track any changes.
Some doctors and experts from the World Health Organization argue that Deltacron is not real and is the result of a lab contamination and the patients tested positive for this by chance or they were just people who had caught both the delta and omicron variants at the same time.
Leonidos Kostrikis, Cypriot scientist who discovered Deltacron, says that this is not a lab mutation but is a result of evolution. He states that the samples containing this variant was tested in more than one country, and therefore was not the result of a lab error. Even so, the problem remains that it could just be the result of people infected with both the delta and omicron variants.
It is still unknown whether Deltacron dangerous, contagious, or real. Scientists are running tests to determine if this is an actual variant, and not the result of a lab error. If it is real, more tests would be run to see the new variant is dangerous and how quickly it can spread. Additional experiments will need to be run to see the effectiveness of the current vaccine against Deltacron.
In British Columbia, about 80% of the population are fully vaccinated, and some people are already starting to get their booster shots.
Covid-19 cases are rising rapidly in Canada. There are about 40,000 new cases reported each day, which is 96% of the past peak.
In response to this situation, the Provincial Health Officer has ordered stricter countermeasures to stop the spread. According to the British Columbia Provincial and regional restrictions, indoor personal gatherings are limited to ten visitors and everyone who is twelve years old and older must be fully vaccinated. However, there are no restrictions for outdoor personal gatherings, but is encouraged to keep them as small as possible.
For indoor events at venues such as concerts, and other performances, everyone must be fully vaccinated to attend and must have a proof of vaccination and must wear a mask. They must also all be seated.
With Covid-19 cases rising in Canada and a possible new variant, it is vital to take preventive measures. Such as physical distancing, ventilating, wearing face masks, washing hands and quarantining.
Winter break was extended for a week at some schools, in order for teachers and staff to be thorough with countermeasures.
To protect family, friends, and individuals, it is crucial to be aware of one’s surroundings and actions.
Sources:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restrictions#pho-order