On Jan. 25, 2022, researchers at the University of Missouri announced they had identified the highly prevalent, specific mutations that are causing the omicron variantﾒs high rate of infection.

The findings help explain how the new variant can escape pre-existing antibodies present in the human body, either from vaccination or naturally from a recent COVID-19 infection. ﾓOmicron SARS-CoV-2 variant: Unique features and their impact on pre-existing antibodiesﾔ was published in Journal of Autoimmunity.