It's sometimes hard to remember quite how much Covid-19 has expanded our epidemiological vocabulary during the past year and a half. Now, there's a new word that is worrying experts, governments and ordinary people the world over: Omicron, or, as it was known at first, the "Nu" variant. It refers to a new strain of Covid-19 that was recently identified in South Africa.
It is spreading, with cases reported throughout southern Africa and as far as Belgium and Hong Kong. It is too early to know quite how dangerous it is. And while worrying, the situation seems relatively manageable for now although the world must remain alert. The chair of the South African Medical Association, Angelique Coetzee, has said only "very mild cases" have been spotted in her country.
In general, new virus strains rarely pose a significantly greater danger in terms of individual illness. The most serious potential threat is on a larger, global scale. Omicron appears to be the most radical Covid-19 mutation to date. This increases the risk of vaccines being less effective against it. Mutations can also be more contagious. When these seemingly subtle changes are applied to billions around the world, the results are huge. The situation is particularly risky for countries that have low inoculation rates.
Editorials from The National
Today's anxiety mirrors the early days of the Delta variant in December last year. The strain did indeed turn out to be more dangerous, with higher transmission rates and perhaps more severe illness, particularly among the unvaccinated. It now represents 99.8 per cent of all cases that the WHO have sequenced in the past 60 days.
Beyond health, today's heightened uncertainty is hurting the economy. The price of oil, for example, fell about 13 per cent on Friday, the biggest decline since the early days of Covid-19. Hotspots face a particularly hard hit. South Africa has already had a difficult year, with high case numbers and widespread riots in July. It was banking on a strong tourism season, which now seems in doubt. The same is true for the rest of southern Africa. Just as people would have been looking forward to Christmas at home, many countries are putting in place travel bans to the region.
However mild Omicron might be for those fortunate enough to be healthy and vaccinated, it is worth remembering those set to be worst hit. Fortunately, after a year and a half of the pandemic, the measures we need are known. Hygiene measures and wearing masks are as important as ever, as is social responsibility; Dr Farida Al Hosani, a government health spokeswoman, has urged people in the UAE to holiday at home this National Day and Christmas.
Outside the Emirates, promoting vaccine equality is the best tool we have for stopping Omicron and future variants. It is no coincidence that this strain has come about in a part of the world that has low inoculation rates. Less than a quarter of South Africa's population is fully inoculated. All countries must work together to bring up rates in poorer countries.
We have been here before, and therefore know what we must do. Whether Omicron takes hold or not, at the most fundamental level it is a reminder that vigilance remains of the utmost importance.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
RESULTS
2.30pm Jaguar I-Pace – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt)
1,600m
Winner Namrood, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi
(trainer)
3.05pm Land Rover Defender – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
1,400m
Winner Shadzadi, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm Jaguar F-Type – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Tahdeed, Fernando Jara, Nicholas Bachalard
4.15pm New Range Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
4.50pm Land Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Autumn Pride, Bernardo Pinheiro, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm Al Tayer Motor – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 T) 1,000m
Winner Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm Jaguar F-Pace SVR – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Scabbard, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Company%20profile%20
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
SUCCESSION%20SEASON%204%20EPISODE%201
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Race results:
1. Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi: 46.44 min
2. Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team: 0.91sec
3. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team: 31.43sec
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
