Too many mutations of the Omicron strain allow it to bind to human cells better than other coronavirus strains. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of British Columbia.
Several mutations of the Omicron variant allow this strain of coronavirus to bind to human cells more effectively than previous versions of the virus. This conclusion was reached by researchers from Canada, who studied a new variant under a cryo-electron microscope. This technology provides scientists with images of the virus with incredibly high resolution.
They found that Omicron has a much greater ability to bind to human cells than the original Wuhan virus, due to new compounds that are formed between the pathogen and human cell receptors. In addition, the researchers tested Omicron against human and monoclonal antibodies. It was found that this variant is more resistant to these particles of the immune system than previous versions.
The results of this study have not yet passed an independent scientific evaluation, but they coincide with the conclusions of previous studies that showed highly contagious properties of Omicron. This variant of the coronavirus was first identified at the end of November in South Africa, since then it has spread quite quickly around the world. Omicron now accounts for 73% of infections in the United States.
