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As Omicron began its swift spread around the world, theories about its origins sprang up as well.
Did the heavily mutated coronavirus variant evolve within an animal host before spilling back into humans or in a COVID-19 patient being treated with a drug capable of spurring viral mutations?
Or, many scientists wondered, did the latest variant of concern develop during a protracted battle against the virus inside the body of someone with a compromised immune system?
While there
