World Health Organization declares new variant of concern named omicron

The World Health Organization has declared the new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa as a variant of concern and named it omicron.   

WHO's technical advisory group on SARS-CoV-2 virus evolution met on Friday to assess the new B.1.1.529 variant's potential risk to public health and decide whether it should be deemed a "variant of concern" or a "variant of interest." Variant of concern is the more serious designation. The delta variant that is dominating infections in Canada and around the world is a variant of concern. 

Experts monitor variants of concern (VOCs) closely because they could spread more easily, may cause more severe illness, or because current vaccines may be less effective against them, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. 

It will take time to determine if any of those are happening, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, said. 

"It's really important that we have good SARS-Cov-2 surveillance around the world, including better genomic sequencing because we want to be able to detect this variant where it is circulating," Van Kerkhove said. 

"We understand that people are concerned," she said, but emphasized that people can reduce their risk by continuing to physically distance, wear masks correctly, avoid crowded spaces, ensure they are in well-ventilated areas and getting vaccinated.

"These proven public health measures have never been more important."

South African scientists detected around 100 cases of the new variant while they were doing genomic sequencing in the country's most populated province, Gauteng.  

On Wednesday they informed the government that they were concerned about the variant's large number of mutations, including to the spike protein, that could affect transmissibility. The South African government then reported it to the WHO. 

"This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning," said a WHO statement issued after the meeting on Friday. 

"Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa." 

Canadian health experts on Friday cautioned against alarm and said it would take time to assess the potential impact of the variant and that there's no evidence that existing COVID-19 vaccines wouldn't continue to be effective. 

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist in Toronto, urged Canadians to get vaccinated if they haven't already. 

In addition, he said the discovery of a new variant shows the importance of ensuring everyone in the world has access to the vaccine, because variants originate among unvaccinated people.