The WHO named the new virus: Omicron
World Health Organization today held a summit to confirm the existence of a new strain of coronavirus.
The strain hitherto called B.1.1.529 got its name Omicron, WHO epidemiology expert Maria Van Kerhov said on Twitter.
Following the meeting of the @ WHO TAG-VE today, WHO classifies B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern named Omicron.
We call for increased surveillance and genetic testing & thank 🇿🇦 for sharing their work in real time.
More information can be found here⬇️https://t.co/Ub0INuwHEd https://t.co/xwQPh8PDMj
- Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) November 26, 2021
We call for increased monitoring and testing. "We are concerned about this species," she wrote.
According to the BBC, is a variant that was discovered on November 24 in South Africa. However, Omicron was soon registered in Botswana, Hong Kong, but also in Israel and Belgium. The WHO has already announced that it is a highly contagious species that has the ability to spread rapidly. They believe that the number of cases in African countries will increase in the short term.
