- Sputnik International, 1920
Omicron COVID Strain
The new COVID variant was initially detected in South Africa and Botswana and sparked major concerns due to its high number of mutations (32). The WHO dubbed the strain Omicron and warned it may prove to be more transmissible and dangerous than other coronavirus variants.

President Joe Biden Delivers Remarks on Fight Against COVID as Omicron Cases Rise in US

© REUTERS / EVELYN HOCKSTEINU.S. President Joe Biden meets with members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team on the latest developments related to the Omicron variant in the Roosevelt Room in the White House in Washington, U.S., December 16, 2021.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team on the latest developments related to the Omicron variant in the Roosevelt Room in the White House in Washington, U.S., December 16, 2021. - Sputnik International, 1920, 21.12.2021
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The new strain, which originated in South Africa, was declared "a variant of concern" by the World Health Organisation due to its high number of mutations.
US President Joe Biden is delivering remarks on the fight against the pandemic as the country faces the omicron variant, which recently became the dominant strain in the country, accountable for at least 73.2% of new cases over the past week.
This comes after WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that there is significant evidence the omicron COVID-19 strain spreads more rapidly than others and affects those who are vaccinated, as well as those who have already had the coronavirus.
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