Wave after wave, peak after peak, variant after variant like the Micron 5, we can see a trend in the spread of Covid: a “seasonality” with more or less slight changes on the score reminiscent of that of the flu. Non-annual seasonality, however, but linked to six-month cycles. News that comes after two and a half years of pandemics and which, if confirmed, worries, however, giving an extra resource in terms of prevention.
What many virologists think is written by the authoritative journal Nature, inspired by the situation in South Africa where – remember – the Omicron variant was highlighted for the first time, first the “4”, then the “5”, then traced also to the rest of the world by restarting the waves of infections and forcing laboratories to develop new vaccines.
Analyzing viral genomes from clinical samples – we read in Nature – it was discovered that variants 4 and 5 emerged respectively in mid-December 2021 and early January 2022. Since then, infections have increased, representing 60-75% of cases of Covid-19 in South Africa. The researchers also identified the variants in more than a dozen other countries, mainly in Europe.
Cycles every six months
Scientists say, however, that we shouldn’t rule out other surprises. Nature also reports that the Delta variant has not completely vanished and, with the increase in global immunity to Omicron and its expanding family, a variant derived from Delta could make a comeback. In any case, whatever their origin, the variants seem to emerge approximately every six months, observes the Belgian virologist Tom Weseleers, who wonders if this is the trend on which the next Covid epidemics will follow one another characterized however by more symptoms. bland.
A trend that suggests an endemic phenomenon (constant diseases present on a territory, which in this case is the world, and which will be added to the already known viruses of respiratory diseases.
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