South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country is being penalized for detecting the latest Covid-19 “variant of concern,” dubbed Omicron, urging other nations to lift travel bans imposed amid alarm over the new strain. “Excellent science should be applauded and not punished,” the president said during a state visit to Nigeria on Wednesday, noting that a growing number of countries... 

The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus results in mild disease, without prominent symptoms, Angelique Coetzee, the chairwoman of the South African Medical Association, told Sputnik on Saturday. “It presents mild disease with symptoms being sore muscles and tiredness for a day or two not feeling well. So far, we have detected that those infected do not suffer loss of taste or smell. They...