Omicron XE emerges as SARS-CoV-2 keeps evolving

Since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)in 2019,the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),the virus keeps evolving as transmission continues globally.On November 26,2021,a highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations,the Omicron(PANGO lineage B1.1.529),1 was designated by the World Health Organization(WHO)as a variant of concern(VOC).The Omicron variant has been spreading rapidly than any other previous variants of SARS-CoV-2.