The Omikron variant may contain a piece of the common cold virus

According to a study by US analytics company Nference, there is a real chance that the Omikron variant of the coronavirus acquired at least one of its mutations by picking up a piece of genetic material from another virus, the common cold virus. News Agency reports it Reuters.

In more and more countries, infections with the Omikron variant of the coronavirus are being detected. Until today, not much is known about this new variant. So experts around the world are looking into the new alternative. In addition, some researchers have already Amazing result The new corona variant may contain a piece of the common cold virus.

more contagious

She added, “The genetic sequence in the Omikron variant does not appear in previous versions of the Corona virus, but is ubiquitous in many other viruses, including those that cause colds, as well as in the human genome.” in researchers.

“By incorporating this particular piece into itself, Omicron can make itself appear more ‘human,’ which will help it avoid an attack from the human immune system,” said Venky Soundararajan, a researcher at Nference.

This may mean that the virus can be transmitted more easily, while only causing mild or asymptomatic illness. Scientists don’t yet know if Omikron is more contagious than the other variants, whether it causes more serious illnesses or whether it will overtake Delta as the more common variant. It may take several weeks before we have answers to these questions.

new copies

Previous studies have shown that cells in the lungs and gastrointestinal tract may simultaneously harbor SARS-CoV-2 and common cold viruses. Such co-infection forms the basis for viral recombination, a process in which two different viruses interact in the same host cell and make copies of themselves, resulting in new copies containing genetic material from both parents.

“This new mutation can first appear in a person with both pathogens,” Soundararajan said. The results of the study have not been tested by other scientists. Another hypothesis is that Omikron mutated in an animal host.

from World Health Organization (Who is the) He said on Saturday that the Omikron variant has not yet resulted in a death.