Omicron—Are We Waiting for the End of the Pandemic?

This publication is an archived article representing the author's text, originally published on November 29, 2021, during the emergence of the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant. The article examines an evolutionary hypothesis about the possible further development of the coronavirus pandemic through the mechanisms of natural selection and competition between different virus variants. The author analyzes the hypothesis that, during the process of mutations, a virus variant with increased ability to spread and possibly reduced pathogenicity may gain an advantage. The work reflects the state of scientific understanding and public discussion at the early stage of studying the Omicron variant, when its properties and long-term impact on the development of the pandemic remained unknown. This publication on the Zenodo platform is an archival recording of the original text without altering its content and is intended to preserve the historical context for the formation of hypotheses about the possible evolution of SARS-CoV-2.