Here's what Omicron can tell us about how COVID-19 variants are discovered

Nov 29, 2021

The World Health Organization has given B.1.1.529 the name Omicron and classified it as a variant of concern. Image: Unsplash/ Fusion Medical Animation

Tulio de Oliveira

Director: KRISP - KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Marietjie Venter

Head: Zoonotic, Arbo and Respiratory Virus Programme, Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria

Jinal Bhiman

Principal Medical Scientist, National Institute for Communicable Diseases

Cathrine Scheepers

Senior Medical Scientist, University of the Witwatersrand

Wolfgang Preiser

Head: Division of Medical Virology, Stellenbosch University

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a chart showing who's variants of concern

The WHO class the Omicron variant one of concern. Image: WHO

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