a silver lining just in time for christmas. but while preliminary studies suggest the 0micron variant appears to be milder, its rate of transmission is another story altogether. 0micron is already the dominant strain in a number of countries, including the uk, portugal and denmark, and according to the world health organization, that will soon be the case right across europe. there is no doubt that europe once again is the epicentre of the global pandemic. the top ten countries with the highest mortality are in europe and central asia. in spain, the variant is believed to account for almost half of all infections. in response to the rapid rise, prime minister pedro sanchez has announced plans to reintroduce mandatory face coverings outdoors. still, there's a hint of optimism. translation: this is not march 2020, | and this is not last year's christmas. fortunately, we are living in another time.