“50 of the 53 countries in Europe and central Asia have now reported cases of Omicron. It is quickly becoming the dominant virus in western Europe and is now spreading in the Balkans,” said the regional director of WHO’s European office, Hans Kluge, at a press conference.

“At this rate, the Institute for Health Metrics (IHME) predicts that more than 50% of the region’s population will be infected with Omicron in the next 6-8 weeks,” Kluge warned. “Data collated in recent weeks confirms that Omicron is highly transmissible – because the mutations it has enable it to adhere to human cells more easily, and it can infect even those who have been previously infected or vaccinated.”

The Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa on 24 November 2021.

On 26 November 2021, the WHO designated it as a variant of concern and named it "Omicron", the fifteenth letter in the Greek alphabet. (ILKHA)