What is Deltacron? As the portmanteau suggests, Deltacron is a Covid variant that contains elements of Delta and Omicron – in other words, it contains genes from both variants, making it what is known as a recombinant virus. “These recombinants arise when more than one variant infects and replicates in the same person, in the same cells,” says Prof Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick. “Deltacron is a product of both the Delta and Omicron variants circulating in the same population.” This week, Gisaid, a global community of scientists that shares virus information, posted that the first solid evidence for this variant had been shared by the Pasteur Institute in France.     Where has this variant been found? Gisaid says the variant has been identified in several regions of France and appears to have been circulating since the start of the year. “Genomes with a similar profile have been also identified in Denmark and the Netherlands,” Gisaid says. There have also been reports of Deltacron being detected in the US, and about 30 cases have been detected in the UK, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The i newspaper said the first cases of person-to-person transmission of Deltacron in the UK were expected to be confirmed this week. Dr Etienne Simon-Loriere of the Institut Pasteur cautioned that there could be several different recombinant viruses formed from Delta and Omicron. “The one we see in France and in Denmark/Netherlands look super similar and might be the same recombinant (with the same parental viruses) that have travelled,” he said. But, he added, the possible Delta-Omicron recombinants reported in countries including the UK and US appear to combine different pieces of their parental viruses, and therefore differ to the Deltacron seen in France. “We might need to find a different name to indicate these recombinant, or start adding a number,” he said.   How worried should we be? Experts have been quick to stress that recombinant variants are not uncommon, and that Deltacron is not the first and will not be the last to occur for Covid. “This happens whenever we are in the switchover period from one dominant variant to another, and is usually a scientific curiosity but not much more than that,” says Dr Jeffrey Barrett, who formerly led the Covid-19 genomics initiative at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. With only a small number of cases of Deltacron so far identified, however, there is not yet enough data about the severity of the variant or how well vaccines protect against it. Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist at the World Health Organization, tweeted on Tuesday: “We have known that recombinant events can occur, in humans or animals, with multiple circulating variants of #SarsCoV2. Need to wait for experiments to determine the properties of this virus. Importance of sequencing, analy...

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance found in human blood. The body produces this protein in response to infection, making it a substance which can be targeted in blood tests which look for signs of systemic infection. A CRP test is a quick and relatively painless procedure which can be performed on an outpatient basis at a hospital or medical clinic, and it can provide rapid information about a patient's condition.   Doctors can ensure a patient is within a normal CRP range through a blood test.   Under normal conditions, low levels of CRP are present in the blood. When an infection occurs, the liver and fat cells start to produce CRP, at levels which can vary, depending on the nature of the infection. Specific diseases can sometimes attach particular sugars to this protein, leaving tell-tale fingerprints which have potential diagnostic uses. Once the infection is resolved, the protein breaks down, returning to negligible or low levels.   C-Reactive proteins are produced by the liver.   If a doctor suspects that a patient may have an infection, a blood test may be ordered to check for levels of CRP and other substances in the blood. The test can also be used to monitor the progress of a chronic condition such as cancer or arthritis, and to see how the body is responding to a particular medication. If protein levels drop after a medication change, it suggests that the medication may be working, causing the infection to die down. Normal ranges for CRP vary, depending on the patient and his or her medical history.   High levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) may contribute to high blood pressure.   In addition to being useful in the evaluation of particular medical conditions, levels of this protein can also be used as a yardstick for general health. Using what is known as an highly sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) test, a laboratory can detect the very low levels of CRP present in the blood of people without active infections. Higher levels of ambient CRP appear to be linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes.     CRP is a substance found in human blood.   In addition to infection, several other things appear to be able to impact the production of this protein. A high amount of dietary fat can cause an increase, especially if the fat comes from transfats. Pregnancy also appears to elevate CRP levels, as does the use of hormonal birth control products. Liver disease can also alter the level of these proteins in the blood, since the liver is involved in the production of C-reactive protein. If a hs-CRP test comes back with a somewhat high level, a doctor may ask a few questions to rule out these potential causes.  

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an endogenous chemical that is active in inflammation and in B cell maturation.   IL-6 and inflammation Besides being an immune protein, IL-6 is also a pyrogen and is responsible for fever in autoimmune, infectious, or non-infectious diseases. IL-6 is produced in the body, wherever there is inflammation, either acute or chronic. This includes situations such as trauma, burns, cancers, and infection. This chemical interacts with interleukin-6 receptor alpha, to induce transcription of inflammatory gene products. IL-6 is implicated in a host of chronic disease conditions associated with inflammation. Interleukin-6 is also suspected to cause increased susceptibility to diabetes mellitus, as well as to the systemic form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. IL-6 is released by monocytes and macrophages in response to other inflammatory cytokines which include IL-11 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-beta. The IL-6 receptor is present on normal T-lymphocytes in the resting phase, normally activated B-cells, and cells in the myeloid and hepatic cell lines. IL-6 is also found on B cells modified by the Epstein-Barr virus. IL-6 produces inflammatory effects by inducing the transcription of factors in multiple pathways of inflammation. These may originate with protein kinase C, cAMP/ protein kinase A, and the release of calcium.   Additional functions of IL-6 IL-6 is a molecule with multiple forms and functions, depending on where it is secreted. For example, IL-6 is associated with the stimulation of acute phase reactions. These promote the activation of innate immunity, keeping tissue damage at bay. When the liver secretes these acute phase reactants, other proteins like albumin and transferrin are necessarily secreted in lesser quantities. Two major acute-phase proteins include C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum amyloid A (SAA). While CRP stimulates phagocytosis, IL-6 enhances the production of the clotting factor fibrinogen. The production of these acute-phase reactants causes the onset of fever, high glucocorticoid levels, activation of complement pathways, and of coagulation pathways, with a high ESR, which are other manifestations. IL-6 also helps T-cells to differentiate early in their development. This chemical is required for progenitor cell development, as well as for T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell activation. In addition, IL-6 helps these cells to achieve pathogen lysis inside the cells. IL-6 also helps B-cells differentiate, proliferate, and promote the formation of plasma cells from B-cells. In addition, as a growth factor for these cells, IL-6 enhances antibody release in the form of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG. IL-6 is also vital for the development of blood cells, whether white cells, red cells, or platelets. It appears that IL-6 plays an important role in the development of Kaposi’s sarcoma and multiple myeloma. IL-6 also leads to the activation of osteoclasts and osteoporosis. Moreover, IL-6 ind...