Scientists have warned that the Omicron COVID-19 variant is not the last version of coronavirus we will be seeing. Due to the heavily-mutated nature, rapid spread and stronger immunity from vaccines & previous illness, the Omicron variant will be able to infect more people in which it can evolve.
Boston University infectious disease epidemiologist Leonardo Martinez has stated that the fast the variant spread, the more likely it is that mutation will occur, leading to more variants. Since it’s mid-November discovery, Omicron has spread across the globe like wildfire, with research showing that it is twice as contagious as the delta variant and at least four times as contagious as the original strain of the virus.
Between 3rd and 9th January, the World Health Organization reported a 55% increase in global case from the previous week, registering a record 15-million new cases. Infectious disease expert from Johns Hopkins University Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray has noted that the longer infections seem like “the most likely breeding grounds for new variants.” Addressing questions of whether or not the virus will evolve and become less mild, Dr. Ray said that he doesn’t think “we can be confident that the virus will become less lethal over time.”
What do you make of this?
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