WHO names a new coronavirus variant of concern: Here’s what we know about omicron
It’s deja vu all over again: The emergence of a new coronavirus variant has sent markets into a spiral and led some countries to again impose global travel restrictions.
Just one day after many Americans were able to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in person for the first time since 2019, the World Health Organization officially named a new “variant of concern” after a meeting of the agency’s independent Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution.
The new variant, now called omicron, was first reported to WHO from South Africa on Nov. 24. The variant was detected in a specimen collected on Nov. 9 and its discovery coincided with a sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases in that country.
While public health experts have warned for months that the United States might face a tough winter, the availability of vaccinations, the roll out of booster shots and positive economic trends generated hope just in time for the holidays. Here’s everything we know so far about the new variant and how it might change this outlook.
What is omicron?
WHO’s initial information on the variant is concerning for several reasons. The new variant:
- Has a large number of mutations, reportedly around 50 in total and 30 on the virus’s spike protein.
- May be more transmissible than previous strains.
- May come with an increased risk of reinfection, according to WHO.
Right now, scientists are still conducting tests and gathering information to discover answers to questions related to transmissibility and whether the omicron variant will resist existing vaccines.
How do you pronounce the variant’s name?
Known formally as B.1.1.529, the new strain is named for a Greek letter, just like the delta variant. Omicron is pronounced “aa-muh-kraan.”
What is a variant of concern?
WHO defines a variant of concern as a level above another designation — variant of interest. A variant of interest is a SARS-CoV-2 with “genetic changes that are predicted or known to affect virus characteristics such as transmissibility, disease severity, immune escape, diagnostic or therapeutic escape” and “identified to cause significant community transmission or multiple COVID-19 clusters, in multiple countries with increasing relative prevalence alongside increasing number of cases over time, or other apparent epidemiological impacts to suggest an emerging risk to global public health.”
On top of those two requirements, a variant of concern also retains one or more of the following characteristics:
- An increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology.
- An increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation.
- A decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.
Where are travel restrictions in effect?
On Friday, the White House rolled out new travel restrictions from eight countries:
- South Africa
- Botswana
- Zimbabwe
- Namibia
- Lesotho
- Eswatini
- Mozambique
- Malawi
The restrictions take effect Monday but do not apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. These restrictions were established “as a precautionary measure until we have more information,” according to a White House statement.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have also imposed restrictions on travel from Africa due to omicron. Belgium became the first European country to report a case of the omicron variant Friday afternoon.
How can we prevent the spread of omicron?
At least for now, advice for how to avoid the omicron variant boils down to what we’ve been hearing for months: People need to reduce their risk of exposure to the virus by wearing well-fitting masks, practicing social distancing and getting vaccinated.
In the White House statement announcing travel restrictions, President Joe Biden urged those who have already been vaccinated to get their booster shots as soon as possible. For people not yet vaccinated, “now is the time,” the president said in the statement.
Biden also called on the global community — particularly rich countries that can afford the cost of the vaccine — to help get vaccines to nations across the world.
“The United States has already donated more vaccines to other countries than every other country combined,” Biden said. “It is time for other countries to match America’s speed and generosity.”
High rates of vaccination help prevent the growth of new variants because if the virus isn’t being transmitted, it can’t mutate. As recently as October WHO’s regional office for Africa reported the continent was short 470 million doses to reach its goal of fully vaccinating 40% of the population.
This story was originally published November 26, 2021 at 1:32 PM with the headline "WHO names a new coronavirus variant of concern: Here’s what we know about omicron."