The identification of a new variant of the Covid virus has sent a wave of shock around the world, as leaders scramble to close borders and introduce measures to slow the spread of the virus. Omicron poses a high risk of infections according to the World Health Organization. The chief executive of the US drugmaker Moderna has warned that there is no world where the effectiveness of vaccines is the same as with the Delta variant.
The Guardian's science correspondent tells Hannah Moore that there is not enough data to predict how serious the threat will be, but the next two weeks will be crucial.
The emergence of a new concern is no surprise. Scientists have warned for months that the inequitable distribution of vaccines means that there is huge scope for dangerous new variants to be created.
Maxym Marusenko/Nur Photo/REX/Shutterstock
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