Two Covid-19 variants have reportedly merged into a mutated hybrid version of the virus, prompting warnings that the pandemic may enter a new phase.
The hybrid virus was discovered in a sample in a US laboratory and is the result of the “recombination” of a British and California tribe, scientists said.
It is not yet known how much of a threat the recombination could pose, but if confirmed, it would be the first in the pandemic.
The ‘recombination’ was discovered in the Los Alamos National Laboratory in California, reports New Scientist.
Bette Korber, a computer biologist at the lab that made the discovery, said there was “fairly clear” evidence of the hybrid.
Ms Korber said: “These kinds of events could enable the virus to link a more contagious virus with a more resistant virus.”
The recombinant contains a mutation of the Kent variant – known as B.1.1.7 – which makes the British virus more transmissible.
It also contains another mutation of the California variant – known as B.1.429 – that can cause resistance to antibodies.
Recombination can bring together different mutations and lead to new, more dangerous variants.
The emergence of new Covid-19 variants has recently meant that humans can be infected with two different strains simultaneously.
The Kent Covid variant, which originated only a few months ago, quickly became the most dominant in parts of Britain.
Some scientists have warned that it can be up to 70 percent more contagious than the original strain.