http://www.newsweek.com/omicron-covid-variant-concern-vs-interest-difference-spreads-1653923

On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) met to discuss a new COVID variant named B.1.1.529, which was first identified in southern Africa. The WHO named it Omicron, and labeled it a variant of concern.

The WHO tracks new COVID variants and their properties, such as how easily they spread, how severely infected people fall ill, and how effective vaccines and other measures are in curtailing their spread.