Mysteries of omicron variant could take weeks to untangle

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and LAURA UNGAR
AP Medical Writers

Scientists say it could be weeks before they better understand how dangerous the omicron variant is. It is still unknown whether the newest coronavirus “variant of concern” spreads faster than delta or makes people sicker. It also isn’t clear how well protection from vaccines or having survived COVID-19 caused by another variant will protect against infection from omicron. There are lots of guesses but little hard evidence as scientists race to find answers amid scrutiny from an anxious public. In the meantime, scientists urge people to get vaccinated and take other public health measures such as masking indoors.