Coronavirus has evolved over time, getting stronger with each new version as we step into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In these last 2 years, we have seen outbreaks of at least 5 such forms. And suggesting that there will be more types in the future, experts point out that the virus may have evolved in at least four ways in the future. Read on to understand what the studies have found.
coronavirus and its types
Over the past 2 years, we have seen five types of concerns – alpha, beta, gamma, delta and omicron. While the first four VOCs were detected in 2020 from different parts of the world, Omicron was detected in South Africa in November 2021.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has clearly stated that Omicron will not be the final version.
Next Version – 4 Possible Scenarios
a recent article by nature pointed to four possible scenarios of how the virus might evolve in the future.
Scenario 1: The most hopeful – but perhaps least likely – future for SARS-CoV-2 would be to follow the path of measles. Infection or vaccination provides lifelong protection, and the virus is largely spread on the basis of new births.
Scenario 2: A more likely, but still relatively hopeful, path would be SARS-CoV-2 following the path of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Most people become infected in the first two years of their life. RSV is a leading cause of hospitalization of infants, but most childhood cases are mild.
Scenario 3: The third would be a coronavirus acting like the influenza A virus, which triggers a global seasonal influenza pandemic every year. Due to rapid evolution, new types are able to evade the immunity acquired by previous strains. The result is seasonal epidemics, largely spread among adults, who can still develop severe symptoms. Flu jabs reduce the severity of the disease.
Scenario 4: But if SARS-CoV-2 evolves to evade immunity more slowly, it could be similar to influenza B. The virus’s slower rate of transformation than influenza A means that transmission is largely through infection in children who have low immunity. compared to adults.
What has WHO said about the next variant?
Last week, a WHO official pointed out that the next type of concern would be more appropriate, that is, it would be more permeable because it would have to overtake what is currently going on. However, “the big question is whether future versions will be more or less serious.” There is no guarantee that the next version will be lighter than the previous version, although there are theories running around it.
The official said that the next iteration of Kovid could increase vaccine protection even more, making existing vaccines even less effective.
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