The economic impact of the Omicron variant - a podcast by BBC World Service

There are warnings that the Omicron Covid variant could have a severe impact this winter. In the UK, a significant rebellion of members of Parliament for the governing Conservatives is expected as the government moves to mandate Covid passes for entry to night clubs and other large venues. Michael Kill is chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, and gives us his reaction to the new rules. We explore to what extent Covid passes work in reducing the spread of coronavirus with Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at Edinburgh University. And we hear about the remarkable effort to distribute Covid vaccines around the world from Wes Wheeler, president of shipping firm UPS's global healthcare unit. Also in the programme, with many companies cancelling Christmas parties for the second year running as a result of the pandemic, our regular workplace commentator Peter Morgan tells us why he thinks it is a blessing in disguise. Plus, the pet sector has experienced a boom recently as a result of coronavirus. The BBC's Elizabeth Hotson reports on whether premium pet foods, with premium ingredients, are worth spending more money on.

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