The virus that causes COVID-19 can infect several animal species, including mink, tigers, lions, cats and dogs.In a study that is not yet peer-reviewed, an international team that I lead recently reported widespread infection by SARS-CoV-2 in free-living and captive white-tailed deer in the U.S. Therefore, we also cannot rule out the possibility that the omicron variant emerged in an animal host through rapid evolution.How the delta variant became dominant worldwide Delta is between 40 and 60 more transmissible than the alpha variant and nearly twice as transmissible as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus first identified in China.
The World Health Organisation has warned blanket travel bans will not prevent the spread of Omicron, as more countries rushed to impose curbs and the first cases of the new Covid strain were detected in Latin America.