'Delmicron' alert: Could this new Covid wave be different from earlier ones?

As Covid cases triggered by the new variant rise quickly in the West, experts suspect that what Europe and the US are witnessing is possibly a ‘Delmicron’ wave.

Delmicron means a combination of the long-prevalent Delta and the new variant, Omicron.

There is a possibility it is Delmicron — the twin spikes of Delta and Omicron — that has caught the West in its throes, a ToI report quoted Dr Shashank Joshi, member of Maharashtra's Covid task force, as saying.


Health experts say that factors such as a weak immune system, old age and comorbidities can heighten the risk of simultaneous infection from Delta and Omicron. Besides, areas with low vaccination rates could be more at risk.

Many such immuno-compromised persons have taken seriously ill from this combination in Europe. In some places, Delta and Omicron are "operating separately as two epidemics at the same time", wires agency IANS reported quoting the UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

Getting co-infected in this manner, however, is 'rare', according to some doctors. But immuno-compromised people could see this happen, they say.

While this could be rare, co-infection can happen from "exposure to a large crowd with high chances of exposure to people infected with different Covid variants", the agency quoted Dr Namita Jaggi of Gurgaon's Artemis Hospital as saying.

It might also be possible that those recovering from Covid could be at more risk from co-infection, Dr Jaggi added.

The medical fraternity, however, says it's not possible to predict how Omicron will behave in India. While it has been proven that the new variant has much higher transmissibility, the fact remains that most Indians have already had enough exposure to Delta, which might blunt some of the impact of any new variant.