What is known so far about new Covid variant Omicron
South African scientists have discovered a new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, with multiple mutations that is thought to be highly contagious. This is what is known so far about the Omicron variant.
Mutations can be beneficial to viruses
Minimal changes to the genetic material can allow some new variants of the Sars-CoV-2 virus to spread faster than the ones that were prevalent at the beginning of the pandemic. How and why such variants can be beneficial to the virus can be seen in the following graphic.
What we do and don’t know about new Covid mutations
The emergence of two new variants of Sars-CoV-2, which are potentially far more infectious versions of the virus, has prompted widespread concern. This is what we know about the mutations.