Nation Omicron, the newest coronavirus variant: How to pronounce it, how it got its Greek name, and what it means November 29, 2021November 29, 2021 Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY Comments Off on Omicron, the newest coronavirus variant: How to pronounce it, how it got its Greek name, and what it means Named after the Greek letter, the omicron variant is the 13th of the SARS-CoV-2 variants to receive a designation by the World Health Organization.