We also identified two independent cases of infection by a Delta-Omicron recombinant virus, where 100% of the viral RNA came from one clonal recombinant.
In both cases, the 5′-end of the viral genome was from the Delta genome, and the 3′-end from Omicron, though the breakpoints were different.
Delta-Omicron recombinant viruses were rare, and there is currently no evidence that the two Delta-Omicron recombinant viruses identified are more transmissible between hosts compared to the circulating Omicron lineages.
According to Swedish virologist, Anders Sönnerborg, “It can be described as two virus strains having sex with each other. They enter a cell and multiply there at the same time. Then they exchange parts of their genes with each other”
