Omicron

The Omicron variant is a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on 24 November 2021.[1]On 26 November 2021, the WHO designated it as a variant of concernand named it "Omicron", the fifteenth letter in the Greek alphabet[2][3]. (Greek letters are used to identify specific variants of SARS-CoV-2.)

Omicron variant and other major or previous variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 depicted in a tree scaled radially by genetic distance, derived from Nextstrain on 1 December 2021

The variant has an unusually large number of mutations, several of which are novel[4][5] (see § Mutations) and a significant number of which affect the spike protein targeted by most COVID-19 vaccines at the time of discovering the Omicron variant. This level of variation has led to concerns regarding its transmissibility, immune system evasion, and vaccine resistance, despite initial reports indicating that the variant causes less serious disease than previous strains. The variant was quickly designated as being "of concern", and travel restrictions were introduced by several countries in an attempt to slow its international spread. As of 15 December 2021, the variant has spread to over 80 countries.

The new variant was originally detected on 22 November 2021, concurrently in laboratoria in Botswana[6] and South Africa.[7] Later, the global patient zerowas identified as a man arriving in Hong Kong from South Africa via Qatar on 11 November who, after testing negative for COVID-19 on arrival, tested positive the next day.[8] In another early case identified in retrospect, a sample obtained in the Netherlands on 19 November was retested and found to be the omicron variant.

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