COVID-22 Variant: Expert warns of possible deadlier variant; Here's all you need to know

As the world continues to battle the Delta coronavirus variant, a Zurich-based immunologist has warned people of the possibility of a new, even deadlier COVID-19 variant plaguing the world. Professor Doctor Sai Reddy raised an alarm that the world needs to be ready for a deadlier strain in 2022. He said that it was "inevitable" for the coronavirus to mutate and become more dangerous than the Delta, Beta, and Gamma strains.

Are vaccinations not enough?

Speaking to The Sun, Prof Reddy said, "COVID-22 (the new coronavirus strain he expects in 2022) could get worse than what we are witnessing now. If such a variant appears, we have to recognize it as early as possible and the vaccine manufacturers have to adapt the vaccine quickly. The emergence of this new variant is a big risk. We have to prepare for it." He added, "We cannot solely rely on vaccinations as they are just a part of the fight against the virus. We may require booster shots and more than one vaccination for the rest of our lives."

Explaining why he believes COVID-22 would be a deadly menace, Reddy said that it is natural for any virus to mutate as long as it continues spreading. Prof Reddy isn't the only expert who foresees a deadlier coronavirus strain in the future. 

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Chris Smith, consultant virologist, and lecturer at Cambridge University said, "We all agree that (the pandemic) is not over until it is over in every corner of the world because otherwise, it will just come roaring back." He added, "Don't forget we think that this started with a handful of cases in one city, in one corner of one country… and it then eclipsed the entire world. But one must not take one’s eye off the ball here because it would be very easy to unstitch all of the good work we’ve done so far if it turns out with the time we do lose immunity because the vaccines wane in their effectiveness."