WHO Labels New COVID-19 Variant ‘Omicron,’ Possible Increased Re-infection Risk

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said a new CCP virus variant first identified in southern African will now be dubbed “Omicron” and has “a large number of mutations.” Early evidence, WHO said in a statement, suggests the COVID-19 strain, first identified as B..1.1.529, has a higher risk of reinfection compared to other variants such as Delta or the Alpha strain. After it was first reported Wednesday in South Africa, the new strain of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus has been found in Botswana, Israel, Belgium, and Israel. “The epidemiological situation in South Africa has been characterized by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant,” said WHO in its statement. “In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant.” Further, the variant has a “large number” of mutations, WHO said, which “suggests an increased risk …