Omicron strain of coronavirus that causes COVID now in at least a dozen countries, as experts urge unvaccinated to get shots

The new strain of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 dubbed omicron and classified a 'variant of concern' by the World Health Organization dominated headlines on the pandemic Monday, although experts stressed that it would take at least a couple of weeks before it can be determined whether it is more transmissible or more lethal than earlier variants.