The world is desperate to understand the variant, which is poised to overtake Delta in parts of Europe. We ask how experts make sense of emerging data to project Omicron's impact. Also, Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter explains why scientists have drawn widely differing conclusions from covid-19 statistics. And, we reveal the winners of our final book giveaway of the year. Kenneth Cukier hosts.

To keep up-to-date with our coverage of the Omicron variant, go to economist.com/omicron.

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