EXCLUSIVE - With Omicron variant, COVID-19 pandemic may become endemic: Virologist

Omicron is less virulent than previous COVID-19 viruses like Delta and Delta plus.

New Delhi: As India is in the midst of a third COVID-19 wave fuelled by the new Omicron variant, it has been observed that while the novel coronavirus cases are soaring, individuals are mostly experiencing mild symptoms with faster recovery. Omicron is termed by experts as more transmissible than the Delta variant but also less virulent. Experts are also suggesting that Omicron can also lead to COVID-19 becoming endemic.

“In the case of any living organism, the ultimate idea is survival, propagation, and perpetuation of the species,” said Dr Niranjan Patil – Scientific business and Head of Department for Clinical Microbiology, Infectious Molecular Biology and Virology at Metropolis Healthcare Limited, Mumbai.

Elaborating why COVID-19 can become endemic, he explained, “The SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus and like other RNA viruses it replicates as well as mutates at a very high rate. But if the virus infection in its hosts is likely to be so lethal that it kills the host eventually the transmission may stop as there will be no susceptible/ vulnerable host that will continue to exist for such a virulent pathogenic microorganism. It may mean dead-end for such highly virulent pathogenic microorganism’s transmission as well as propagation of that species. This is something which no living pathogenic microorganism including SARS CoV 2 can afford in the long run.”