The "Frankenstein variant" arrives, as the omicron and the delta strain merge

Get ready to learn more Greek letters - scientists have warned that the dizzying progress of the omicron strain practically ensures that it will not be the last version of the coronavirus that will worry the world.
Each infection gives the virus a chance to mutate and omicron has an advantage over its predecessors - it spreads far faster despite appearing at a time when global immunity from vaccines and previous diseases has strengthened.
That means more people for the virus to continue to evolve.
Experts do not know what the next strain might look like or how it could shape a pandemic, but they point out that there is no guarantee that omicron heirs will cause a milder disease or that existing vaccines will be effective against them. They are therefore urging wider vaccination, while today's vaccines still work. "The faster the omicron spreads, the more opportunities there are for mutation, which can potentially lead to more variants," Leonardo Martinez, an epidemiologist at Boston University, told the AP.
Since it appeared in mid-November, Omicron has ravaged the globe like wildfire through dry grass. Research shows that the variant is at least twice as contagious as the delta and at least four times more contagious than the original version of the virus.
Omicron is more likely than delta to re-infect individuals who have previously had recovered from COVID-19 infection and cause a "breakthrough infection" in vaccinated people, while also attacking unvaccinated people. The World Health Organization reported a record 15 million new cases of the infection in a week from January 3-9, an increase of 55 percent over the previous week.
The ease with which the new strain spreads increases the chances that the virus will infect and...