What is Delmicron? How is it different from Omicron?
The new Omicron variant of coronavirus is spreading rapidly around the world. Amid the surge, a new term—Delmicron—has surfaced in the media. Is it a new strain of the virus you need to worry about? How is it different from the Omicron variant which is highly transmissible and has spread to dozens of countries? We answer your questions.
Where did the term come from?
The term Delmicron was mentioned by an expert in Maharashtra's COVID-19 task force. Dr. Shashank Joshi said it is possible that Western countries have been affected by simultaneous surges of the Delta and Omicron variants. "Delmicron, the twin spikes of Delta and Omicron, in Europe and US has led to a mini tsunami of cases," he reportedly said.
What does it mean?
It means that Delmicron is not a new variant of the coronavirus. The term simply refers to a situation where both the Delta and Omicron variants are leading to a surge in COVID-19 infections in a particular region. Notably, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not announced or classified any new coronavirus strain after Omicron.
What is happening in US and Europe?
In the United States, officials say Omicron accounts for 73% of all new COVID-19 cases rising from under 1% a few weeks back. Last month, US authorities had said Delta contributed to nearly all new COVID-19 infections in the country. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, daily new cases crossed 1,00,000 on Wednesday for the first time since the pandemic began.
Omicron in India
The number of Omicron cases in India has reached 358 as of Friday. It is the most heavily mutated version of the coronavirus so far and is said to be highly infectious. In fact, several states have started reporting a surge in daily COVID-19 cases. However, experts say a new outbreak will not be as severe as the one caused by Delta.
