Beyond the Headlines: How worried should we be about the Omicron variant?

The new emerging variant of Covid-19 appears highly contagious but is it as dangerous? This week's episode asks the experts

Live updates: follow the latest news on Covid-19 variant Omicron

A new variant of coronavirus is spreading across the globe.

Named Omicron, after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet, it has sparked travel bans around the world.

In South Africa, where the variant was first identified, it has quickly become the dominant strain.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced what is believed to be the first death caused by Omicron.

On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host Cody Combs asks: how worried should we be about Covid’s new variant?

Updated: December 16, 2021, 2:52 PM