Where is the next covid variant "π"? How long will the virologist explain that the omicron will last?

As a background, the World Health Organization announced in May 2021 that the main variants of SARS-CoV-2 will be named
using the Greek alphabet in addition to the scientific name.
The aim is to give the public an easy way to talk about them and also avoid the previously mentioned SARS-CoV-2 variants depending on where
they were first found.

What are variants?

When a virus such as SARS-CoV-2 replicates, it replicates
itself.
The process is a bit like copying a document without spell checking – it can lead to spelling mistakes
.

These errors can cause changes in the amino acids that make up a protein, altering the structure or function
of the protein.
These proteins either form the structural structure of the virus or some of the mechanisms
required for viral replication.
Often, errors or "mutations" in these structures or mechanisms weaken the virus
.
But occasionally, they can make viruses more likely to cause disease, spread, or evade our immune system
.
When viruses with the same spelling errors are found in enough hosts, this group of viruses is called a variant
.
As long as SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, it will continue to evolve and new variants will continue to emerge
.

endless

Genetic surveillance identified SARS-CoV-2 variants that have the potential to be more contagious, better evade our immune system, or cause more severe disease
.
These are categorized as variables of interest or variables of interest
.
To date, the World Health Organization has designated five concerns
named after the Greek alphabet.

On 26 November 2021, B.
1.
1.
529 was identified by WHO as a variant of concern and renamed omicron
.
At the time, omicron demonstrated a dramatic shift in viral evolution, with twice as many mutations in the spike protein (a protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 that allows it to attach to our cells) compared to δ
α α and δ.

It was this huge genetic change, combined with its greater ability to spread from person to person and evade prior immunity, that prompted the World Health Organization to name omicron a variant
of concern.

So far, omicron is the only variant in existence that infects humans
.
Alpha, beta, gamma and delta are all now classified as "previously spread" variants of concern
.

While there are genetic differences between omicron's offspring, BA.
2 and BA.
5, and its offspring, XBB and BQ.
1, they are fairly similar
to each other and to the original omicron strain.
That's why they're considered descendants of omicron, rather than their own unique variants
.

Some scientists believe that the system needs to be rethought
from a public communication perspective.
Specifically, they believe that the high bar set by WHO for new variants of concern should be lowered so that the public can understand how COVID is still changing
.

look for

Omicron's continued advantage can largely be explained by its increased ability to spread from person to person, as well as its ability to evade pre-immunization
from infection and vaccination.
A very different virus is difficult to compete with Omicron and gain a foothold
.
Scientists across the globe continue to monitor the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, although this is becoming increasingly difficult as testing and surveillance efforts have been scaled back
.

The next variant of concern will be named pi(π), the letter
after omicron in the Greek alphabet.
To specify π, the genetic sequence needs to be very different compared to omicron, and this variant must be distinctly contagious or cause more serious diseases
.
This new π variant may come from animals
.
While there are few documented cases of animals transmitting COVID to humans, different host species may develop different mutations
.
Alternatively, π may develop
in immunocompromised hosts.
SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated the ability to mutate rapidly in clinically vulnerable populations whose immune systems struggle to clear the virus, giving them time to produce a large number of mutations
.

What should I do when I run out of alphabet?

All viruses change over time, and SARS-CoV-2 is no exception
.
More concerns could be named, though that could slow down
.

Maria van Kockhove, WHO's technical head for the COVID pandemic, has previously said that once we run out of Greek letters, the new variant may be named
after the constellation.
This hasn't been officially confirmed, but one thing we do know is that it's unlikely to happen
anytime soon.