What Will the Next Coronavirus Strain Be Like?

The next strain of coronavirus could be more pathogenic than the Delta or Omicron strains and could also cause a significantly higher number of deaths, according to British scientists. This conclusion was reported by The Guardian.

“The Omicron variant did not arise from Delta but from a completely different part of the virus's genetic tree. Since we do not know where a new variant will appear in the phylogenetic tree of the virus, we also cannot know its level of pathogenicity. It could be either more or less pathogenic,” said Mark Woolhouse, a professor and epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh.

Other scientists share Woolhouse's views. David Nabaron, the World Health Organization's (WHO) special representative for COVID-19, agrees that there is an element of unpredictability and randomness in the mutation and spread of the virus. “Post-Omicron, there will be more variants, and if they are more contagious, then they will also become predominant. They may be more lethal or have a more serious negative impact on the organism,” he said.