Living in a Variant World
Omicron is the latest Sars-Cov-2 variant. What are variants, where do they come from, how do they develop and what makes one dominant? David Aaronovitch asks the experts.
What are variants? Where do they come from? Why do they develop and how do they take over?
Currently Delta is the dominant variant in the UK and across much of the world; but now Omicron, first identified in South Africa, looks like it could take over. How does that happen? And what can we do about variants?
Joining David Aaronovitch in the Briefing Room are:
Emma Thomson, Professor of infectious diseases at the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.
Dr. Jeff Barrett, Director of the Covid-19 genomics initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Dr. Charlotte Houldcroft, virologist from the University of Cambridge.
Producers: John Murphy, Ben Carter and Kirsteen Knight
Studio Manager: Graham Puddifoot
Editor: Richard Vadon
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The Briefing Room
David Aaronovitch presents in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.
