China's Covid Tsunami Could Spark a Dangerous New Variant That Infects the World
- A new variant of concern would be first since omicron in 2021
- China’s Covid Zero approach may create novel challenges
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The tsunami of Covid-19 that’s taking hold across China is spurring concern that a dangerous new virus variant could emerge for the first time in more than a year, just as genetic sequencing to catch such a threat is dwindling.
The situation in China is unique because of the path it’s followed throughout the pandemic. While almost every other part of the world has battled infections and embraced vaccinations with potent mRNA shots to varying degrees, China largely sidestepped both. The result is a population with low levels of immunity facing a wave of disease caused by the most contagious strain of the virus yet to circulate.