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A testing centre in Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay near Nantes, France. Reuters
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Students wear protective masks in a classroom at a school where a number of cases of the Omicron variant have been detected, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters
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Sarah Santos Costa gets vaccinated in Sao Paulo. Getty Images
Deemah Al Sofyani, a pharmacist, prepares a Covid-19 vaccine does in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
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A health worker collects a swab sample from a child to test for Covid-19 at a hospital in Kolkata. AFP
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Pupils queue for a Covid-19 vaccine shot at Chogle High School in Borivali, Mumbai. India recorded 7,743 Omicron variant cases in the past 24 hours. EPA
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Yodit Ben Ari, 89, receives a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at a retirement home in Netanya after Israel approved a second booster shot for the immunocompromised, people over 60 and medical staff. Reuters
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A health worker tests school pupils for Covid-19 during a surge in cases of Omicron in Karachi, Pakistan. The country has recorded more than 4,000 coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day. EPA
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A man sits and waits after receiving a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 booster vaccine in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA
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Employees work on the assembly line to produce self-testing kits at the NG Biotech factory in Guipry-Messac as France experiences a surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. Reuters
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Lucas Sudo receives a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine as part of the first group of children under 12 to be immunised against Covid-19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Getty Images
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An injured 41-year-old man is pushed into the emergency ward at the main city hospital in Innsbruck, Austria. Fewer patients than usual were arriving due to a 10pm curfew as a precaution against the spread of the Omicron variant. Getty Images
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A boy is tested for Covid-19 at a drive-through site in Jerusalem. Reuters
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Even the statues are masked in Tokyo's Ginza district, as Japan reported a record high of new Covid-19 infections fuelled by the Omicron variant. AFP
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A health worker draws up a dose of a Covid-19 shot at a drive-through vaccination centre outside Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers FC's ground, in north-west England. AFP
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A woman receives a booster shot in Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters
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Testing schoolchildren in Karachi. EPA
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A weekly food distribution project in a Brooklyn community in New York City provides between 500 to 600 people with fresh vegetables, fruit and other items. More than 13. 8 million US households were described as food insecure in 2020. Inflation and job insecurity due to the coronavirus pandemic have contributed to the issue. AFP
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A testing centre in Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay near Nantes, France. Reuters
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Students wear protective masks in a classroom at a school where a number of cases of the Omicron variant have been detected, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YHR64RBK2G5BBHPWBXSDKLX7SI.jpg?smart=true&auth=6cf2c8b950f1372d0aebcfa67c5df4b79cbfe1471949e979be86056fa9a151a2&width=400&height=225)
Sarah Santos Costa gets vaccinated in Sao Paulo. Getty Images
Deemah Al Sofyani, a pharmacist, prepares a Covid-19 vaccine does in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3EECQTVOCX3AVDA4MSXHIGZUPQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=3792d7cc92d3a9471816d0f0a3643b2fb9b1da1b3f32a00b5c63dfbe9a5a3fea&width=400&height=225)
A health worker collects a swab sample from a child to test for Covid-19 at a hospital in Kolkata. AFP
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Pupils queue for a Covid-19 vaccine shot at Chogle High School in Borivali, Mumbai. India recorded 7,743 Omicron variant cases in the past 24 hours. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/X73SWKZKIJN47IKMNI6NVJNMUI.jpg?smart=true&auth=cf17c5722f62f88900bd3a1347ff6731d104d06b1ba6792695340dc854e75935&width=400&height=225)
Yodit Ben Ari, 89, receives a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at a retirement home in Netanya after Israel approved a second booster shot for the immunocompromised, people over 60 and medical staff. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/URKACSIOQ5NTXXLF4EGIC3XFQA.jpg?smart=true&auth=182bc6c36028d266ba11da266795698ea5092c32ff4cd72139f5db631c6004a2&width=400&height=225)
A health worker tests school pupils for Covid-19 during a surge in cases of Omicron in Karachi, Pakistan. The country has recorded more than 4,000 coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XWELPBVA7KQ4HOD5GGEXJCQ2EY.jpg?smart=true&auth=02f217c166687b0692c17c4784ffef1a43f55a9b315762c393cd2431a742812a&width=400&height=225)
A man sits and waits after receiving a Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 booster vaccine in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XP27MO4EV5HGS5QNIVIUMY6KE4.jpg?smart=true&auth=334ebbd15cbacc68e1f3904b4b1d2c70cbdbeacd86675c6d2919ca08eef3ddbf&width=400&height=225)
Employees work on the assembly line to produce self-testing kits at the NG Biotech factory in Guipry-Messac as France experiences a surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GSXTIQTKTB2JASGBVXISUXQU5E.jpg?smart=true&auth=21068500ebe2e72a3b37ff85d6d3dc1b62eb5906cbf7553034d82a3a217695ec&width=400&height=225)
Lucas Sudo receives a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine as part of the first group of children under 12 to be immunised against Covid-19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JOQL3IRVIGZDCJWMABA665SZ7Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=78c65b3e5ba4a0b7afc15136e389e2a3b701f3102b4912d367d57ee1bef7c12a&width=400&height=225)
An injured 41-year-old man is pushed into the emergency ward at the main city hospital in Innsbruck, Austria. Fewer patients than usual were arriving due to a 10pm curfew as a precaution against the spread of the Omicron variant. Getty Images
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/RD2NVKHLIZHR7AU4FLFVPEMYUQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=2a499388869ec29faea09a7ecc4a707e113b7b7f35a7e71e6b2390864b0996f4&width=400&height=225)
A boy is tested for Covid-19 at a drive-through site in Jerusalem. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2HNLH3NVIXVTGVAMNOF3EXROME.jpg?smart=true&auth=d23c3c265135a648dcef40571763f896706716824a482ede3fe60f0e2fba2015&width=400&height=225)
Even the statues are masked in Tokyo's Ginza district, as Japan reported a record high of new Covid-19 infections fuelled by the Omicron variant. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GD7XGPFQ3V6QHAAGNBNPTJ5FLQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=6610292fb7876d1e5eccc77ad40ce0ab74eabd9a4b0479c89d46ae1987c1529a&width=400&height=225)
A health worker draws up a dose of a Covid-19 shot at a drive-through vaccination centre outside Ewood Park, Blackburn Rovers FC's ground, in north-west England. AFP
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A woman receives a booster shot in Taipei, Taiwan. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/54B542DHNVKVUCZVE2VJH6ASDA.jpg?smart=true&auth=10729d18971bf6243bf1d988de93c8124f576d87a1826193119e03470c916789&width=400&height=225)
Testing schoolchildren in Karachi. EPA
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A weekly food distribution project in a Brooklyn community in New York City provides between 500 to 600 people with fresh vegetables, fruit and other items. More than 13. 8 million US households were described as food insecure in 2020. Inflation and job insecurity due to the coronavirus pandemic have contributed to the issue. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ERMQOIKJYY6MGP3WYGKLREEGWE.jpg?smart=true&auth=95540b1873aec2a0118e46a407fa7444c03a2be06431fa201c0adc4904b382ce&width=400&height=225)
A testing centre in Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay near Nantes, France. Reuters
What is the new Omicron Covid variant BA.2 and are the symptoms more severe?
BA.2 is one of the most contagious diseases yet
![Gillian Duncan](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F736ebb26-e270-44c5-96a2-80452d783888.png?smart=true&auth=6b2c4dc0614f332daaa4e848c41f090496fd16da3ccccaa940132372e6a74710&width=70&height=70)
Gillian Duncan
25 March, 2022
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