COVID-19 wave in China is spurring concern that a dangerous new variant could emerge for the first time in more than a year.
There are two paths the virus could take in China. Omicron and its hundreds of subvariants may sweep directly through, likely in several waves, leaving no room for other contenders – as it has in the rest of the world for all of 2022. Vaccination and infections will boost immunity until eventually antibodies in the population will help control serious disease.
Omicron “came out of nowhere,” Turville said. “It made an evolutionary change in a way that’s different. If that’s the path, and it spreads more easily, there might be another parachuting event, where it takes a trajectory we don’t expect.”The fact that China doesn’t have a lot of previous exposure to the virus could work in its favour when it comes to the risk of new variants.
Omicron doesn’t penetrate as deeply in the lower respiratory tract or do as much harm as some of the earlier strains. Its superpowers include its contagiousness and ability to evade existing immunity, a combination that slammed the door on other variants – including those that could have been more virulent.Article contentNot everyone is concerned.
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