Omicron: The New Variant

As you may know, a new variant of COVID-19 has been detected in South Africa, now known as the Omicron variant, and is spreading to different continents.

Origins

On November 24,2021, a new variant of COVID-19 was discovered in South Africa, and was quickly given the name “Omicron,” (Pronounced AA-muh-kraan) for the 15th letter in the Greek alphabet, two days later. 

Name

The decision to name the variant “Omicron” was made by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations, but the fascinating part is that they decided to skip the letters Nu and Xi. Nu, the 13th letter in the Greek alphabet, was skipped due to possible confusion with “New,” and they didn’t want it to sound like it was the “New Variant.” Xi, the 14th letter in the Greek alphabet, was skipped because it is a common last name.

Vaccines and Masks

At the moment, vaccines appear to prevent Omicron from severe illness, but breakthrough cases are more likely to happen than before. Masks are an effective tool to block the virus from getting into your body and causing you to get sick, so please keep your mask up whenever you are in a building or crowded area.

Sources: CDC, World Health Organization