Updated Nov 2024 WHAT IS THE OMICRON VARIANT AND WHY IS IT ONE OF THE VARIANTS OF CONCERN (VOC)? Omicron (scientific name B.1.1.529 or BA.1) is the COVID variant, first detected and reported in Botswana and South Africa in November 2021, when a sudden exponential (5-fold) rise in daily cases was seen over a short … Continue reading Omicron COVID variant – Important Points