Omicron May Have Picked up a Piece of a Common-Cold Virus

[speak easy]

The results of genetic sequencing leave open the possibility that Omicron may prove to be more contagious, but less virulent than Delta.

Omicron Variant May Have Picked up a Piece of Common-Cold Virus

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 likely acquired at least one of its mutations by picking up a snippet of genetic material from another virus - possibly one that causes the common cold - present in the same infected cells, according to researchers.

This genetic sequence does not appear in any earlier versions of the coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, but is ubiquitous in many other viruses including those that cause the common cold, and also in the human genome, researchers said.

By inserting this particular snippet into itself, Omicron might be making itself look "more human," which would help it evade attack by the human immune system, said Venky Soundararajan of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based data analytics firm nference, who led the study https://osf.io/f7txy posted on Thursday on the website OSF Preprints.

This could mean the virus transmits more easily, while only causing mild or asymptomatic disease. Scientists do not yet know whether Omicron is more infectious than other variants, whether it causes more severe disease or whether it will overtake Delta as the most prevalent variant. It may take several weeks to get answers to these questions.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-12-03/omicron-variant-may-have-picked-up-a-piece-of-common-cold-virus

[Johnny2X2X]

1. I hope all these reports prove true

Omicron might be so mild and so contagious that it effectively ends this pandemic in terms of deaths.

[GPV]

2. And TFG will crow from the rooftops that he was right.

[Lithos]

4. 700k+ reasons he is wrong

n/t

[multigraincracker]

3. I'd bet, many of those that refused to get the

COVID vac., got the regular flu shot before.