Summary
While we don't know whether the omicron variant will lead to more severe cases of COVID-19, its ability to spread is becoming clearer. Cases in South Africa are spiking at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, and European officials said their modeling found that omicron would likely be responsible for more than half of their cases this winter. William Brangham looks at the global picture.Five Facts
- Why does the World Health Organization have concerns that the omicron variant could lead to another wave of global COVID infections?
- Who is interviewed in this piece and what is her background?
- What did officials with the World Health Organization see that made them concerned about omicron?
- How are travel bans counterproductive, according to this interview?
- Why has the World Health Organization come out against booster shots?
Focus Questions
What are some of the clues or data that scientists are finding that suggests omicron might be more likely to spread than other variants, according to this piece? Based on the evidence presented in this piece, what do you think is the best approach to reducing the impact of omicron across the world? What about just in the U.S.? Media literacy: The World Health Organization has suggested some policies that are at odds with policies set by U.S. health officials, including disagreement about the necessity of booster shots. Where do you think you might look to better understand the disagreement and evaluate the merits of each perspective?For More
To understand U.S. policy and response to omicron to compare to World Health Organization recommendations, watch this piece:- For more on the pushback against travel bans in response to omicron, see this article .
Educators: To receive the Daily News Lesson in your inbox each morning, sign up here .
