Since scientists discovered Omicron at the end of November, the variant has rattled

markets, closed borders, and sparked a race to understand the new strain.

This rate of transmission would characterize the Omicron variant as the most contagious

version of the virus.

Omicron has 50 mutations.

That's more than any other variant, including the highly transmissible Delta variant.

That could mean it behaves differently to other variants, but many details are not yet

known.

And companies like Pfizer and Moderna have been trying to find how to stop it.

So what have the last few weeks been like for vaccinologists?

It's been pretty busy.

I've been in touch with some companies that make the vaccines, some that make treatments

recovered.

I think every single one of them started work on this the day over the day after Omicron

was brought to the world's attention.

That's our colleague Denise Roland who covers vaccine makers.

And she says scientists are trying to determine whether the vaccines we already have are good

enough or if they will have to develop new ones to target Omicron specifically.

And if they do, there's one key thing scientists will need to figure out about this variant.

Is it different enough that we could vaccinate against it specifically and Jocelar immune

system into fine-tuning itself to Omicron?

Welcome to the journal, our show about money, business and power.

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