The Morning Dispatch: What We Know About the Omicron Variant

The new COVID-19 variant needs to be watched, but it's too early to tell if it's cause for worry.

By
716

Happy Monday! We hope you spent your usual TMD-reading time the past couple of days watching the new Beatles documentary on Disney+. Many people are saying TMD is doing to morning newsletters what the Beatles did to music 50 years ago. 

And Happy Hanukkah to all our members who are celebrating!

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

  • The Biden administration announced Friday the United States will reimplement travel restrictions on non-U.S. citizens from eight African countries after South African scientists identified a heavily mutated COVID-19 strain that the World Health Organization labeled Omicron and designated as a “variant of concern.”

  • A Georgia jury on Wednesday found Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020. All three men will be sentenced to life in prison, and still face federal hate crime charges.

Keep reading with a free account
Create a free Dispatch account to keep reading Get Started ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN IN
716
By
Comments (716)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
  1. Kurt Von Fuchs

    Seriously bold move comparing yourself to the Beatles… I have my doubts

    Collapse
  2. Avatar photo
    C C Writer

    Well, I won't be getting news alerts about anything on my phone because I don't have that kind of phone, and "alerts" are one of the reasons why. I'll be getting news of new developments from sources that wait a few beats at least--that should be no surprise to Dispatchers. Anyway, good job with the summary of what we know.

    Collapse
  3. Avatar photo
    Jasonn

    Appreciate the clear (and appropriately restrained) articulation of where we're at with this...

    Collapse
  4. Avatar photo
    Donald E. L. Johnson

    When covid first hit, I told people it would be with us the rest of our lives. Confirmed.

    When I heard about omicron, I knew we probably would spend the winter isolated, reading The Dispatch. Talk about depressing! :)

    Collapse
  5. R. James

    The WHO skipped Nu and Xi for naked political reasons not because of 'the science'.

    Collapse
    1. Avatar photo
      Mudskipper

      First of all, the name given to a virus variant has nothing to do with science, whichever name is chosen. Giving the variants Greek alphabet names was not a scientific decision in the first place--just a decision of convenience. Second, what naked political reason do you suggest for why they skipped Nu?

      Collapse
      1. R. James

        The WHO thinks people are too dumb to tell the difference between Nu and New. Do you doubt the political reason behind their reason to skip Xi?

        Collapse
        1. Avatar photo
          Mudskipper

          We are too dumb to tell the difference between Nu and new when they are spoken. I'm pretty sure you yourself are that dumb, because I know I am.

          Collapse
          1. Avatar photo
            C C Writer

            "Nu" is French for naked.

            Collapse
      2. Avatar photo
        Sgrantsm

        Doubt you'll get an answer. Standing by.

        Collapse
  6. Avatar photo
    Jesse Blankenship

    My point is that my worry will not help one thing in any way, only damage me and everything around me that so might infect with my fear. You see what comes, take the measure of it , do what you can to be safe and keep living.

    Collapse
  7. Avatar photo
    C C Writer

    My reaction was: I wonder what the Greek letter omicron looks like. To my disappointment, it's the same as the Roman letter O.

    Collapse
  8. Avatar photo
    Jen

    Thank you Charlie Cooke. If he’s ever looking for work I hope TD hires him.
    https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/11/bidens-bumbling-covid-policy/

    Collapse
  9. Avatar photo
    rlritt

    "TMD is doing to morning newsletters what the Beatles did to music 50 years ago."

    It's true! Sometimes I scream while reading your content.

    Collapse
  10. Avatar photo
    Citizen60

    Inevitable. Viruses survive by mutating. The delay in getting the whole world vaccinated, those who got only one shot, and those who were wholly unvaccinated and spreading the original, beta, and delta variants made a new mutation almost certain.
    The questions about this must be answered before we know if it really matters on the whole.

    Collapse
Load More