Next COVID variant after Omicron: Experts explain how coronavirus can evolve, its traits, vaccination
Read on to understand what studies have revealed. In the last 2 years, we have seen five variants 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 found in South Africa in November 2021.
World Health Organisation (WHO) has explicitly said that Omicron won't be the last variant. An article by Nature, published in December 2021, pointed out four possible scenarios of how the virus can evolve in the future Scenarios 1: The most hopeful — but probably least likely — future for SARS-CoV-2 would be to follow the path of measles.
Infection or vaccination provides lifetime protection, and the virus circulates largely on the basis of new births. Scenarios 2: A more likely, but still relatively hopeful, would be SARS-CoV-2 following the path of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
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India
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Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
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Brazil
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Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
Recovered: 0
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United Kingdom
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Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
Recovered: 0
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Russia
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Cases: 8 494 589
Deaths: 237 619
Recovered: 0
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