The World Health Organization (WHO) named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, found in South Africa, “Omicron” on Saturday.
This followed a meeting of the WHO to discuss the newly identified variant of COVID-19.
“The recently discovered variant of coronavirus B.1.1.529 is worrying. It has more mutations than science knows about other alarming variants. The WHO has assessed this new variant as worrying,” the statement said.
“Existing coronavirus vaccines may be less effective against the new COVID-19 variant,” the statement added.
The FOPH also announced that the new variant is more contagious than the “delta” strain that previously became globally dominant.
Scientists have labeled this variant B.1.1.529.
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said after the meeting that early analysis shows that this variant has a large number of mutations that require further investigation and will go through.
Source: ANI