Public health officials have publicly expressed their concern that the new variant might find its way into the United States sooner than expected, despite the fact that the government imposed a travel ban on international travelers from eight southern African nations. This move was made by several other countries.

Even so, once the new variant’s presence was confirmed, President Biden stated that he’ll keep his promise to bring the pandemic to a swift and conclusive end. He also said that they’re all learning more with each day that passes, and he vowed that his administration will fight this variant with science and speed, not with chaos and confusion.

Not long after that, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s top medical adviser, emphasized how the new variant in the United States should convince unvaccinated Americans to get their shots immediately. Even so, he expressed his optimism that the country will eventually surpass these difficult times of the pandemic, saying that “there’s no doubt that this will end.” But in order to achieve this goal, he urged caution, saying that health officials still don’t know a lot about the new variant.

From what we know so far, Omicron carries more than 50 genetic mutations that in theory make it both more contagious and less vulnerable to the body’s immune defenses than other variants. From what they know so far, more than 30 of the mutations are in the virus’s spike, which is a protein that stays on its surface. Vaccines help the body’s immune defenses to target and attack the spike.

The vaccines available currently may still offer substantial protection against cases of severe illness and death following infection with Omicron, and federal officials are asking vaccinated citizens to get booster shots. As an encouraging thought, the makers of the two most effective vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are already preparing to reformulate their shots if necessary, but this action requires some time.