The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is the latest strain of the coronavirus to be designated a "Variant of concern" by the WHO, more and more countries are reporting cases, and it has an unusual combination of mutations that may enable it to spread faster.
The WHO said one of the widely-used rt-PCR kits, developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, can detect the presence of Omicron variant, which is we use.
Is the COVID-19 booster effective against Omicron?
Scientists do not know whether vaccines will continue to protect people from Omicron. The variant contains many mutations that suggest the shots may be less effective against Omicron than against other variants, though evidence to support those fears has yet to be established.
