Brazilian Health Ministry confirms two cases of Deltacron variant

Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga confirmed on Tuesday that Brazil has identified two cases of the Deltacron coronavirus variant in the northern states of Pará and Amapá. The new mutation, which combines the genome of both Delta and Omicron variants, was first detected by French health authorities back in January.

Mr. Queiroga said this alternative form of the virus “requires monitoring” and is classified as a variant of concern and importance. “The [preventive] measures are the same,” said the minister, recommending people to get their vaccine booster shots.

As of today, experts say the mutation is “extremely rare” and behaves similarly to Omicron. Therefore, it is likely that vaccines will be enough to curb Deltacron’s effects.

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