Austria Detects 1st Suspected Case of Omicron Variant

Austria has detected the first suspected case of the new coronavirus variant known as "Omicron", which was recently discovered for the first time in South Africa.

The new Omicron version, which was discovered initially in South Africa, has heightened global anxieties because it is thought to be more deadly than the delta variant.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated it as a ‘variant of concern’ on Friday.

The new South African strain has been designated as a source of concern by the WHO because it has a high number of mutations (32), potentially making it more transmissible and deadly. The WHO has given it the name Omicron, which is the Greek alphabet’s 15th letter.

Following news of the new variant, the US, the EU, Canada, Israel, Australia, and other countries have imposed travel restrictions on many southern African countries due to health concerns.