What we know — and don’t know — about the omicron variant

As cases of infection with the omicron variant of the coronavirus multiply around the world, scientists are racing to characterize the heavily mutated variant to understand how it spreads and gauge new risks during this wave of the pandemic.

Preliminary studies released this month have offered some clues about the effectiveness of vaccines against the omicron variant and whether it causes more severe illness, but much remains uncertain, and more research is needed. 

To Fight the Global Covid-19 Pandemic, We Need a Global Game Plan The U.S. makes a huge mistake if it thinks its fate can be walled off from the rest of the world Larry Brilliant WSJ

For many months in 2020, Covid-19 was the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. And deaths this year have already surpassed last year.

Americans tend to see this pandemic through the lens of American losses. But neither the original virus nor the five Greek-lettered variants of concern began in the U.S. Wherever the next more-infectious variants begin, they will inevitably circle the globe.