* The U.N. health agency recognized the strain, previously referred to as lineage B.1.1.529, as a variant of concern.
* It is feared a sharp upswing of Covid cases in South Africa’s Gauteng province — where the heavily mutated strain of the virus was first identified — could mean it has greater potential to escape prior immunity than other variants.
* The WHO has said it will take weeks to understand how the variant may impact diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
The World Health Organization on Friday assigned the Greek letter Omicron to a newly identified Covid variant in South Africa.
The U.N. health agency recognized the strain, previously referred to as lineage B.1.1.529, as a variant of concern.
Health experts are deeply concerned about the transmissibility of the Omicron variant given that it has an unusual constellation of mutations and a profile that is different from other variants of concern.
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