on the second anniversary of the
covid-19
pandemic, researchers warn that the virus is still actively mutating throughout the globe and will likely result in even more variants.
“i think it is inevitable that we will see new variants with varying degrees of immune evasion,” andrew rambaut, a viral evolution researcher at the university of edinburgh, u.k.,
told nature
. “they could emerge from wherever there is widespread transmission.”
previous sars-cov-2 variants are somewhat relatable. each mutation in their structures can be linked back to older variations, establishing a sort of
family lineage
. the omicron variant largely took scientists by surprise, its unique structure seemingly having skipped several generations.
“none of us really anticipated omicron,” dr. yvonne maldonado, an epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist at stanford medicine,
told ctv news
. “well, there were hints, but we did not expect it to happen exactly the way it did.”
while it is entirely possible that the distinct changes in the omicron structure spontaneously mutated from a known strain, another possibility is that it gradually developed in populations not closely monitored at the time. in areas without consistent testing of symptomatic individuals, the omicron structure could
have formed unchecked
. a sobering thought, considering the current global easing of testing requirements.