We can see clearly how infectious SARS-CoV-2 can be, with the Omicron variant’s large number of mutations. However, we still can’t answer the question where did Omicron come from, little alone how. Epidemiologists classify these mutations in three major groups. For the record these are:
1… BA.1/B.1.1.529.1
2… BA.2/B.1.1.529.2
3… BA.3/B.1.1.529.3
BA.2/B.1.1.529.2 is the One to Watch Carefully
The BA.2 mutation is so different from the other two it almost qualifies for its own letter in the Greek alphabet. Some call it the ‘Stealth Omicron’ because it is harder to detect quickly with some tests. However, it is unlikely we can do much about further mutations except reduce the number of infections.
Part of the key lies in knowing where Omicron did come from in the first place. There may circumstances more conducive to mutations. We will never know unless we look. And that means looking objectively, as opposed to grasping at unsubstantiated rumors that pop up on social media.
Three Possibilities Where Omicron Came From
There’s no transparent path of transmission linking Omicron to its predecessors, according to Nature.Com. It ‘came out of nowhere’ in the Johannesburg region of South Africa which hosts the largest airport on the continent. Epidemiologists are considering the following explanations:
1… The process was gradual and undetected. Omicron evolved through person-to-person transmission. However, South Africa’s advanced genetic surveillance procedures make this somewhat unlikely.
2… The mutation evolved in a chronic infection. We do know some people with compromised immune systems are unable to easily shake off a COVID-19 infection. And moreover that this allows time for the virus to mutate unseen in their bodies.
3… Omicron jumped from an animal to a human. There have been numerous reports of Omicron infecting animals from hippopotamuses, to ferrets and hamsters. It’s not difficult to imagine it crossing to human somewhere, anywhere in fact.
The World Health Organization’s recently formed Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens met earlier in January 2022. We expect to see the release of their report within the next week. We’ll let you know what they say as soon as we know their findings.
Breaking News
REACT Suggests Repeat Omicron Infections
