Omicron variant originated from mice, say Chinese scientists. Is the narrative changing continuously?  

Beijing

If a new study is to be believed, Omicron variant of the coronavirus may have originated from mice.  

According to this study, which has been undertaken by Chinese researchers, there is strong evidence that the virus passed from humans to mice and then it made the reverse journey after undergoing multiple mutations.  

The researchers have been continuously changing the narrative over the origin of the Omicron variant.  

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This variant of coronavirus has mutations, which were rarely found in clinical samples from earlier patients and not witnessed in any intermediate evolutionary branch of other variants, the study said.

The Omicron variant’s five mutations have been found identical to the one found in mouse lung samples.   

The study has been conducted by the researchers from Nankai University in Tianjin and the National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, and published in Biosafety and Biosecurity journal.  

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As per these researchers, the origin of Omicron remains unknown. It contains over 50 mutations, many of which are not found in previous variants.   

Over the origin of Omicron, there are broadly three theories. One says that the virus mutated in an immunocompromised person. The other says that it has been mutating among Covid patients unnoticed, which is unlikely as per this research. As per the third theory, an animal species may have been infected with a human strain, which underwent several rounds of mutation before reinfecting humans.   

(With inputs from agencies)