An estimated 53 million Americans returned from their holiday travel this weekend to news of a new variant of COVID-19.
The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa and cases have since been reported in a growing number of countries including Germany, Canada, Australia, and the U.K.
So far, no cases have been reported in the U.S. But experts say it’s only a matter of time.President Joe Biden spoke yesterday about the new variant, telling Americans not to panic.
But even as we consider the immediate concernsover Omicron, scientists arepointing to a longer-term issue: a growing number of animals becoming infected with COVID-19. These spillover events where germs jump from humansto animals and back againcan create new viral strains.
What does this mean for the state of the pandemic?
Copyright 2021 WAMU 88.5