The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has spread around the world at a rapid pace since it was first discovered in southern Africa in November but there is still a great deal we do not know about it.
More data is needed to determine its precise characteristics and how it responds to our existing coronavirus vaccines, but what seems beyond doubt is that it is more transmissible than any previous strains we have encountered over the course of the pandemic so far, including the Alpha and Delta variants.
Omicron has been detected in at least 110 countries to date, with the likes of the Netherlands, Germany and South Korea reimposing lockdown measures to slow its spread.
The UK has continued to experience extremely high levels of Covid infections across the festive period, with total daily cases in England rocketing to a pandemic high of 218,724 on 4 January, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
One aspect of the Omicron variant that has become clear over the last few weeks is how it differs from the original Covid strain.
While the World Health Organisation estimated that symptoms took…