Just as the world was getting back on it’s feet, news of a new variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus has countries worried. This new variant, named Omicron, was first identified in Southern Africa and has since spread to nations such as Australia, the Netherlands, and Denmark. This news bodes ill for both daily life and business alike.
Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) are uncertain if the new variant is more infectious compared to the other variants of Covid-19, or whether its symptoms are more or less severe.
The damage to business and trade is likely to become visible soon as countries around the world are battening down the hatches, closing or restricting borders once more in an attempt to prevent imported cases of the new variant. Financial markets have already begun to sell-off, fearing the Omicron variant could potentially resist vaccinations and topple the budding economic recovery after almost two years of the pandemic.
In its statement, the WHO said it was working with technical experts to understand the potential impact of the variant on existing countermeasures against COVID-19, including vaccines.
The new variant is already causing much concern and confusion among companies the world over. It is entirely possible that we could potentially see a reinstatement of more strict measures to ensure the safety of clients and employees in the coming weeks. If anything, the initial outbreak has taught organizations the value of being agile with their responses to emergencies such as this. However, business will still likely see a hit as supply chains and demand slows down once more due to the reignited fears.
