SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — The COVID-19 variant discovered earlier this week in South Africa, which is spurring concern among public health agencies, governments and markets alike, now has a name.
It's the "omicron" variant, according to the World Health Organization, which classified it a variant of concern on Friday.
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"This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning," the WHO wrote in a press release on Friday. "Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other (variants of concern)."
Omicron joins the alpha, beta, gamma and highly contagious delta variants as concerning ones under the WHO's classification.
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