HOUSTON — As the newest variant of COVID-19 continues to spread, KHOU11 News is answering viewer questions about the omicron strain.
It's the new word popping up in online searches as people scroll for answers ahead of the busy holiday travel season.
We interviewed Dr. Jim Versalovic, who is co-chair of COVID-19 command and pathologist-in-chief at Texas Children's Hospital.
What does omicron mean?
Versalovic: "Last winter and early in 2021 we were dealing with the alpha variant, so Greek letters have become standard with naming of the variants. Primarily, because we want to avoid stigmatizing particular countries or nationalities or regions just because the virus originated there."
Is omicron more deadly?
Versalovic: "We don't know yet. There's no evidence it's causing more severe infections. I want to emphasize that the initial reports from southern Africa, where most of these cases are now, the story from southern Africa is that these infections have been generally mild."
Is this new variant in the U.S.?
Versalovic: "It may be in the United States, we don't have any firm evidence yet and that's speaking today, Nov. 29, 2021, as we all know this pandemic has been full of surprises."