The Omicron variant was first identified in Botswana and South Africa in November 2021 —although later reports showed earlier cases in the Netherlands. By late December, Omicron was the predominant strain in the U.S.
The Omicron variant causes more infections and spreads faster than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain of the virus that causes COVID-19.
The original Omicron strain has a relatively mild version of the virus, causing less severe disease and death than Delta, which preceded it. There is a reduced risk of hospitalization for Omicron compared to the Delta variant. But WHO warns that it should not be dismissed as “mild”. The analysis shows 4.4% of Omicron cases were long COVID, compared to 10.8% of Delta cases.
The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are spiking globally because they can spread faster than other circulating variants — mostly BA.2, which caused a surge in cases at the beginning of the year.
Coronavirus Omicron variant
