The Omicron viral variant is certainly not comparable to a common cold as the risk of long Covid is present with each infection. — dpa
The Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, was first reported by South African scientists on Nov 24 (2021) and classified as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Nov 28 (2021).
Within about a month, Omicron became the dominant SARS-CoV-2 viral variant in North America and Europe, pushing the Delta variant aside.
Subscribe now to our Premium Plan for an ad-free and unlimited reading experience!
