The World Health Organization issued a statement on Friday calling Omicron a “variant of concern” after the new, and potentially more transmittable, coronavirus was first identified in South Africa. This strain of an epidemic that had seemed to be taming in many parts of the world has called upon new safety and travel restrictions, with studies underway as officials continue to track the severity of this new variant.

Cases have been identified in more than two dozen countries on every continent except Antarctica. A California resident who returned home from South Africa this past Wednesday was identified as the first American infected with Omicron. Toronto then reported its first 3 cases of the variant on Friday, all involving individuals that had traveled abroad; two returning from Nigeria and another coming home from Switzerland. As of December 3, Canada has confirmed 15 total cases related to the Omicron variant.

"The need for heightened vigilance remains, regardless of which variant is circulating," Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam stated to reporters. Though little about the variant repercussions are known, officials have detected similarities between the mutations in Omicron and that of Delta – a highly infective variant that stormed the world.

Omicron’s discovery has prompted considerable panic across the globe, Canada included in the countries that have since then banned flights from southern Africa. Others have barred foreign travelers altogether. But public health experts urged caution, noting that there is as yet no firm evidence that Omicron is more dangerous than previous variants like Delta. That is still however a hard risk to take; Delta turned out to be much deadlier than its predecessors, and its risks were even higher for non-vaccinated individuals being more likely to succumb to the variant.

Several pharmaceutical companies have begun developing solutions to Omicron, with Moderna reported to be testing a new booster specifically for the variant, and companies like AstraZeneca looking to conduct experiments on the impacts Omicron has on its current vaccine. Health officials still push that the best way to stay safe is to get vaccinated, and when available, receive a booster shot at an appropriate time.

When a virus circulates widely and causes numerous infections, the likelihood of the virus mutating increases. New variants like Omicron are a reminder that the pandemic is far from over. It is just as essential now as it was when vaccination rollouts first began that people get the vaccine to prevent the spread of the virus, while still following provincial health guidelines. Omicron too, highlights the struggles in many developing countries, where vaccines and health measures are not accessible nor properly enforced. Addressing vaccine inequity and increasing vaccination rates are among the most crucial steps to alleviate the pandemic. Before more is known about this variant, the need for vigilance still stands.