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Reuters
Reuters
By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) -The heavily mutated Omicron coronavirus variant is likely to spread internationally and poses a very high risk of infection surges that could have “severe consequences” in some places, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. No Omicron-linked deaths had yet been reported, though further research was needed to assess its potential to escape protection against immunity induced by vaccines and previous infections, it added. In anticipation of increased case numbers as the variant, first reported last week, spreads, the U.N. agency urged its 194 m…