An enlarged view of human bronchus tissue infected with the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (in red) in laboratory research from a team in Hong Kong. Within those lung samples, the variant multiplied at a rate more than 10 times slower than the original virus. "Therefore, taken together with our recent studies showing that the Omicron variant can partially escape immunity from vaccines and past infection, the overall threat from [the] Omicron variant is likely to be very significant." Ryan Troyer, a virologist and researcher at Western University in London, Ont., stressed that the Hong Kong team's results are still preliminary. Supplied by the LKS Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong.

Source: CBC News December 16, 2021 17:22 UTC