Coronavirus: These 5 risks in connection with COVID are still high; think before you stop wearing masks

The number of new COVID cases has been declining since the last few months. However it is not recommended to drop the guards because the fear around the coronavirus is still high partially because of human nature and partially because of the dynamic nature of the virus.

Here are 5 risks associated with COVID which are still high:

Just when we thought the virus is going to stay with us and there is a lesser chance of the pandemic picking up pace again, few countries like China are witnessing a surge in the number of COVID infections.

COVID situation is chaotic in China currently. The government’s zero COVID policy is being opposed by people and protests are being reported from several parts of the country. The pandemic and the lockdowns have stalled the economic progress in several countries.

We are not strangers to long COVID. The World Health Organisation (WHO) along with national health agencies have started working on addressing this health concern.

COVID is primarily seen as a respiratory issue however it impacts major body organs. Several research studies have interlinked COVID with higher incidences of cardiovascular diseases in young people mostly.

Likewise, COVID is associated with cognitive function decline also. It is also seen as a reason behind several complications related to lungs and kidneys.

Though Omicron has remained for over a year, the virus has been mutating rapidly. Several sub variants of the Omicron virus have been detected so far.

One of the main reasons, researchers say about the mutating nature of Omicron, is that it has a higher transmissibility rate. "Because Omicron has spread swiftly, and has had many opportunities to mutate, it has also acquired specific mutations of its own. These have given rise to several sub-lineages, or sub-variants," a report in The Conversation says.

Each sub variant of Omicron has a similar or more advantage than its previous ancestor in terms of transmissibility and immunity escaping ability.

The WHO has explained the reasons why Omicron is spreading at a faster rate. First, the mutations found in the virus allow it to attach to the cells easily. Second, it has an immunity evading ability which means people can be reinfected easily. The third reason is the virus replicates in the upper respiratory tract, which was not seen during Delta and other variants.

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These traits favor the virus to mutate rapidly.

In the case of Omicrons we just do not see mutations as a risk. Recombinant strains are a headache as well.

Recombination events cause genome swap and create a hybrid variant.

The XE variant, which had a good number of cases to its credit, is a recombination of BA 1 and BA 2.

When the discussion is about recombinants, let's not forget Deltacron which was the combination of Delta and Omicron variants.

As of now, recombinants have not posed any bigger threats but the future can not be ascertained at this point.