«Even Omicron has three variants»

Richard Neher. (Photo: Matthew Lee / Biozentrum, University of Basel) - Professor Richard Neher from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel is using his Nextstrain platform to investigate which variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are currently circulating worldwide. The possibilities for future mutations are extremely wide ranging. Within Omicron alone, there are three variants circulating at the moment. There is talk about Omicron being the beginning of the end and the start of an endemic situation. What exactly does that mean? If the pandemic becomes endemic, it means that a certain balance is established between the virus and us humans as the host. The virus would circulate continuously worldwide, probably in waves, in which the changing immunity of the population and the infections from the virus balance each other out.