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Heavily mutated Omicron variant puts scientists on alert

Researchers are racing to determine whether a fast-spreading coronavirus variant poses a threat to COVID vaccines’ effectiveness.
  1. Ewen Callaway
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Researchers in South Africa are racing to track the concerning rise of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The variant harbours a large number of the mutations found in other variants, including Delta, and it seems to be spreading quickly across South Africa.

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Nature 600, 21 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-03552-w

Updates & Corrections

  • Update 27 November 2021: The story now includes that the World Health Organization has named the variant Omicron and designated it as a variant of concern.

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