As Omicron Spreads, Fears Over How Hard It Will Hit World Economy
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Omicron: Australia's chief medical officer on Friday said Omicron was likely to become the dominant variant globally within months
Australia, despite restrictions on international visitors, became the latest country on Friday to report community transmission of Omicron, a day after the coronavirus variant was found locally in five US states.
US President Joe Biden warned on Thursday that infections will rise during the northern-hemisphere winter and the European Union's public health agency said Omicron could account for more than half of all infections in Europe within months.
Australia's chief medical officer on Friday said Omicron was likely to become the dominant variant globally within months, but at this stage there was no evidence it was any more dangerous than Delta which swept the world earlier this year.
"I suspect within the [next few] months, Omicron will be the new virus in the world," Paul Kelly, the top medical advisor to the Australian government, told reporters.
