Update at 12:00pm:
BRUSSELS (AP) – An advisory panel of the World Health Organization classified a new COVID-19 variant first detected in South Africa as a highly transmissible virus of concern and named it “omicron” under its Greek-letter system.
The announcement on Friday from the United Nations health agency marks the first time in months that the WHO has classified a COVID-19 variant as such.
The delta variant, which has become the world’s most prevalent, is in the same category.
On Friday, President Joe Biden announced he ordered air travel to be restricted from South Africa and seven other countries in response to the new variant.
Original Story:
BRUSSELS (AP) – The discovery of a new coronavirus variant sent a chill through much of the world as nations raced to halt air travel, markets plunged and scientists held emergency meetings. But the risks of the variant remained largely unknown.
Medical experts, including the World Health Organization, warned against any overreaction before the variant was better understood.
A jittery world feared the worst nearly two years after COVID-19 emerged and triggered a pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people around the globe.
British Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers that the new version may be more transmissible than the delta variant and render vaccines less effective.
(Copyright 2021, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
(WBAP/KLIF Contributed to this Report.)