Scientists have warned that the next variant of COVID may be more dangerous than Omicron. They warn us not to be careless.
This warning comes even as countries around the world are gradually trying to ease COVID-19 restrictions and travel restrictions.
Prof Mark Woolhouse from the University of Edinburgh said it was not known where the next variant of the Corona virus family would come from. He gives an example, the Omicron variant is not derived from the Delta variant and is completely different.
"It (the Omicron variant) comes from a completely different part of the viral family tree lineage. And because we don't know which virus family tree a new variant will come from, we can't tell what the pathogen is like. pathogenic or could easily become highly pathogenic," he said, as quoted by The Guardian.
Woolhouse's opinion is supported by Professor Lawrence Young of the University of Warwick. "People seem to think there has been a linear evolution of the virus from Alpha to Beta to Delta to Omicron," he said.
"But that's not the case. The idea that the virus variant will continue to be milder is wrong. The new one could be more pathogenic than the Delta variant, for example," Lawrence continued.
Although the public may be tired of the situation and reluctant to comply with health protocols, the decision to lift restrictions in some countries has also drawn criticism. Therefore, carrying out health protocols such as washing hands, wearing masks, maintaining distance, staying away from crowds, and reducing mobility as much as possible will still be done and become a habit in the new normal era.