Perverse incentives

Genomic surveillance vital for global public health

The newly discovered variant of Covid-19, named Omicron by the World Health Organization, has now been identified in multiple countries around the world. There is no clear scientific evidence yet as to whether it exhibits immunity escape, which would put those who are vaccinated or have recovered from a previous case of Covid-19 at risk. Nor is it clear if it is more or less severe in terms of hospitalisation or fatalities than the now dominant Delta variant. Yet stringent travel bans targeting southern African countries have already come into force. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a speech