Don’t panic over new ‘Deltacron’ variant: PM
The Thai public has been advised not to panic over reports of the new Covid-19 variant “Deltacron”, with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha saying the country’s health system is prepared to tackle any outbreak.
Recent reports say scientists have identified “Deltacron” – a mix of the virulent Delta variant and the highly transmissible Omicron – which apparently infected 25 people in Cyprus.
However, Ramathibodi Hospital’s Medical Genome Centre has analysed the 25 patients’ DNA samples and scientists believe the samples may have been contaminated, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonchana said on Monday.
He added that the Public Health Ministry’s Medical Health Service Department has also pointed out that the new variant is yet to be recognised by any health authority on the global level. The department is monitoring reports and waiting for official updates.
Thanakorn said that peer reviews by health experts across the world also say that the 25 patients’ samples may have been contaminated during the DNA sequencing in a lab in Cyprus.
“So, people should not panic over the new variant,” the spokesman quoted Prayut as saying.
The PM has also assured the public that Thai health facilities are ready to cope with any Covid variant provided people take full precaution and adhere to measures set by the Public Health Ministry.
