The new variant of the coronavirus Omicron probably picked up at least one of its many mutations by taking a piece of the genetic material of another virus, most likely the one that causes the common cold that is present in the same infected cells, the researchers said.

According to world agencies, this has not been observed in any of the previous variants of the coronavirus, but is present in many other viruses, including those that cause colds, as well as in the human genome. experts say.

"Omicron is making itself 'more human' by downloading the new 'code', which could help it avoid the immune system," said Wenki Saundararayan, an expert at Nference, a data analytics company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Saundararayan led the study, which was published as a "print", meaning it was still awaiting scientific review.

The discovery may mean that the virus is more easily transmitted, but also that it causes only mild or asymptomatic disease, which would be great news for humanity after almost two years of pandemic. Scientists still do not know if Omicron is more contagious than other variants, if it causes a more severe form of the disease, or if it will cross the Delta as the most common variant of the coronavirus.

According to previous studies, cells in the lungs and gastrointestinal tract may contain SARS-KOV-2 and the common cold virus at the same time. This would allow a recombination of viruses, a process in which two different viruses in the same host cell interact with each other while copying themselves, creating new copies that have the genetic material of both "parents".

The same genetic sequence appears in the human coronavirus HCoV-229E, which causes colds in humans, and in the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, Soundararayan said.

South Africa, where Omicron was first identified, has the highest rate of HIV infection in the world, and it weakens the immune system and increases a person's susceptibility to infections with cold viruses and other pathogens. There are many people in that part of the world who could have recombination, said Soundararayan.

Source: MIA