Social media users have accused the World Health Organization (WHO) of bending to China’s will after it skipped the Greek alphabet letter “Xi” and named the new COVID-19 variant Omicron. Driving the ...

(CNN) — The naming of the new coronavirus variant Omicron is causing some confusion. Since May the World Health Organization has been using letters of the Greek alphabet, in order, to name coronavirus ...

Social media users correctly noted, however, that the organization skipped two letters in doing so, leading to questions about the move. Here's what we know about how omicron ended up with its name.

At the time, scientists argued that the second Omicron strain -- BA.2, with dozens of new gene mutations --was as genetically distinct from BA.1 as Alpha, Gamma and Delta had been from each other.

Guido Vanham is a Belgian virologist who's been sending letters to his children during the pandemic. The text of his most recent letter is printed below with permission from his son Peter Vanham.

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. “Every cloud has a silver lining” – though few may be able to see it, the ...

The naming of the new coronavirus variant Omicron is causing some confusion. Since May the World Health Organization has been using letters of the Greek alphabet, in order, to name coronavirus ...

Guido Vanham is a Belgian virologist who's been sending letters to his children during the pandemic. The text of his most recent letter is printed below with permission from his son Peter Vanham.