Le variant B.1.1.529 a été signVariant B.1.1.529 has been reported to the WHO by South Africa. Flights from this country are currently being suspended. The new variant B.1.1.529 of the coronavirus. It has been classified as a "concern" by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The organisation named it "Omicron" on Friday 26 November.

Ce variant présente un grand nombre de mutations, dont certaines sont préoccupantes », d’aThis variant presents a large number of mutations, some of which are of concern", according to the group of experts charged by the WHO with monitoring the evolution of Covid-19. According to the WHO panel, preliminary data suggest that there is "an increased risk of reinfection" with Omicron, compared to the other variants of concern.

The risk is "high to very high" that the new Covid-19 variant will spread in Europe, the European Union's health agency said late Friday. In a risk assessment report, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimates that "the overall level of risk for the EU and EEA (European Economic Area) associated with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is considered high to very high. This is a first on the European continent, as the world gradually closes in on South Africa. A case of the new Covid-19 variant, first detected in South Africa and absent from Europe until now, has been identified in Belgium, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said on Friday 26 November.

Pfizer-BioNTech is studying the new variant. Moderna wants to develop a specific booster dose. The German laboratory BioNTech, allied with Pfizer, expects "at the latest in a fortnight" first results of studies that will determine if the new variant detected in South Africa is able to escape vaccine protection, a spokeswoman said.

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