Important Things to Know About Covid-19 Strand “Omicron”

The world is still trying to wrap its head around the Delta COVID strain, so the news about a new, potentially even deadlier, Omicron strain is not something people were ready to deal with.

When and where was it discovered?

The first reports of a new COVID strain B.1.1.529, called “Omicron,” came from the authorities of South Africa on November 24, 2021. South Africa had three huge spikes in morbidity, the last of which was caused mainly by the Delta variant of the coronavirus. But in recent days, there has been a sharp outbreak of infections, which coincided with discovering a new strain.

The WHO has already stated that the new guy on the block can spread even faster than its predecessors. The Center for Disease Prevention and Control has assessed the potential threat of the Omicron in EU countries and changed it from high to very high.

So far, this strain has been found in Botswana, Hong Kong, Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Portugal, Israel, and Japan. About 70 countries have already imposed travel restrictions in response to the spread of Omicron.