Why omicron will not be the last strain

The speed and scope of the omicron wave sweeping the world means one thing is nearly certain, scientists say: more mutant variants are coming.

A medical worker shows a bottle of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during a third dose vaccination campaign in Indonesia. AP

Laura Ungar

Jan 16, 2022 – 8.58am

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Get ready to learn more Greek letters. Scientists warn that omicron’s whirlwind advance practically ensures it won’t be the last version of the coronavirus to worry the world.

Every infection provides a chance for the virus to mutate, and omicron has an edge over its predecessors: it spreads way faster despite emerging on a planet with a stronger patchwork of immunity from vaccines and prior illness.