We all know about Covid-19, also known as the coronavirus. It has dominated all of our lives for the past two years. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began in December of 2019, many variants have been popping up, like the delta variant. Now there is a new strain of coronavirus – Omicron. Researchers say that the omicron variant may be the most influential to our society.
What is the Omicron Variant:
The omicron variant is very similar to the original coronavirus except that it spreads much faster and is less deadly than any previous strains. In the U.S., the Omicron variant spread to every state in just 20 days. Many researchers are unsure whether the current Covid-19 vaccines will protect people from omicron. Although omicron spreads so quickly, it is not as deadly as other variants, researchers say.
Effects of Omicron:
Critics say that Omicron “poses the greatest threat to our society.” After the Omicron variant arrived, some people even said that everyone on earth will eventually get the virus. Many people are now worried about children because the omicron variant seems to be spreading the quickest among children and teachers who are going to in-person school. Researchers are now testing the efficacy of normal Covid-19 vaccines against the Omicron strain. Just one month after it was discovered, Omicron is already the most dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2. Omicron is now accounting for about 60% of daily cases in the U.S with the delta variant accounting for only 39% of cases. Some cities have even canceled their Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
What’s Next:
Almost every month, a new variant of Covid-19 arrives. At the end of 2021, many countries reached their record high for the number of Covid-19 cases. This poses the question of “Will this ever end?” The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives. It has taught us about the value of everyday activities that most people take for granted. In order to stop this pandemic, we all must rise up and do our best to stop the virus from spreading.
