While the WHO is busy trying to fight the new variant ‘Omicron’, and protect the humankind from a growing pandemic, a Siberian entrepreneur has sued the organisation for ruining the image of his business, as it turned into a nightmare.
The CEO of the Omicron Network of ophthalmology clinics has filed a case against the global organisation. Alexander Padar, the CEO, has alleged that the naming of the new Covid variant is bound to cause harm to his business.
“Our name is a registered trademark, primarily in the field of medicine and healthcare, since this is our core service,” he said.
The businessman had invested a huge sum of money for marketing his clinics all around the world. However, now, due to the new Covid variant name and its rapid outbreak, when someone searches for his clinics, they only see news and information about the Covid variant. “Think about it, if someone dies from ‘Omicron’ – your relative or friend, you are unlikely to go to the clinic with the same name,” he explained.
Increase in the spread of this variant and the growing number of cases around the world are bound to bring irreparable financial losses for him and his company, Padar fears.
WHO has been naming the Covid variants after the letters of the Greek alphabet to make sure they are able to steer clear of geographical and political bias and stereotypes.
Meanwhile, the Omicron variant has been spreading around the world at a fast rate, and several countries are now going back to their 2020 defense strategies such as limiting travel, routine RT-PCR tests, necessary lockdowns, social distancing and mask mandates.
Researchers believe at least one mutation in Omicron variant of COVID-19 seems to have been acquired from the common cold virus