Early research shows symptoms of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus appear to differ from previous strains, doctors and other expert believe. Generally, people are reporting milder reactions to the virus however many patients have noticed they are different to Alpha, Beta and Delta. Almost 60,000 new Covid-19 cases have been reported, the highest total since January 9, driven by the surge in the highly-transmissible variant. And the World Health Organisation’s director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned people they underestimate coronavirus at their peril, as he voiced concerns the Omicron variant is being dismissed by some as “mild”. Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, politicians also backed mandatory Covid certification regulations for patrons wishing to access nightclubs, pubs, restaurants and other licensed premises.

Source: The Times December 16, 2021 09:51 UTC