Is There a Higher Risk of Infection Than Covered?

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High levels of vaccination in the u.K could help protect against omicron variant, say experts. But we don't know just how effective our vacins are going to be against this variant. The key question is what happens when you get infected? Is there a higher risk of severe illness? We don't know that yet.

Over 40 countries have now confirmed the presence of Omicron. And, in the UK, scientists have been increasingly expressing their concern about the new variant. Some have speculated there could be more than 1,000 cases here already, and that it could become the dominant variant within weeks. To get an update on what we know about the Omicron variant, and how quickly it might be spreading, Madeleine Finlay speaks to Nicola Davis, the Guardian’s science correspondent. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod