The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is wreaking havoc around the world. In South Africa, where it was first identified, it resulted in an unprecedented surge in the number of cases. The travel bans that soon followed against several Southern African countries were futile gestures, as the new variant was undoubtedly already circulating in the countries that rushed to put the bans in place. This quickly became clear as surges in cases were noted in several European countries and in the United States, resulting in case numbers never seen before.[1] As they did during the initial surges, health systems across the globe fell quickly under enormous stress. In the case of the Omicron variant, this is mostly because of the large number of health providers who had to either isolate because of infection or quarantine after COVID-19 exposure rather than because of a higher risk of severe disease.[2,3] Similarly, high worker absenteeism has affected organizations and businesses, undermining already weakened economies around the world.
Yet, despite the tremendous challenges it is presenting, the Omicron variant may actually be paving a new path toward coexistence with COVID-19.
With the Omicron variant, COVID-19 offers an interesting combination. Evidence thus far suggests that the variant is highly transmissible and that progression from exposure to infection is faster than with other variants.
