Canadian Study Discovers Why Omicron Transmits So Rapidly

Students walk past the UBC sign at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, in a file photo. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

The University of British Columbia announced Wednesday that it has completed the world’s first molecular-level analysis of Omicron, revealing possible reasons behind the new COVID-19 variant’s high transmissibility.

With the help of a “near atomic resolution” cryo-electron microscope, UBC’s analysis revealed that Omicron’s heavy mutations and ability to evade immunity contribute to its high transmissibility, according to Dr. Sriram Subramaniam, one of the researchers.