Science & technology | Omicron and immunity

The case for updating covid-19 vaccines for the Omicron variant

A new study puts the variant in a group apart from its predecessors

VARIANTS VARY, but how much? Since SARS-CoV-2 was first sequenced at the beginning of 2020 dozens of versions have been identified. Five have been designated “variants of concern” by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The latest is Omicron, which was given its name in November last year and looks set to become the dominant form of the virus almost everywhere.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “The start of something new?”

Beware the bossy state

From the January 15th 2022 edition

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