WHO designates COVID variant found in South Africa as “of concern”

JOHANNESBURG – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday designated a new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa with a large number of mutations as being “of concern,” the fifth variant to be given the designation.

The WHO said in a statement that it had assigned the B.1.1.529 variant the Greek letter Omicron.

(Reporting by Alexander Winning, Editing by William Maclean)