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

A security guard blocks an exit as he directs people to scan a QR code to track their health status at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, following new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Shanghai, China, on Nov. 25, 2021. Aly Song/Reuters

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said a new CCP virus variant first identified in southern African will now be dubbed “Omicron” and considered a variant of concern with “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.