Although details about the omicron variant are sketchy, a picture is starting to emerge – and it's not all bad news. As the omicron variant sweeps across the world and pushes out the delta variant that preceded it, scientists rush to understand how it might change the coronavirus pandemic, entering its third year. Experts worry that even if it's less virulent, which isn't clear, it could cause enough hospitalizations to overwhelm health care systems here and abroad. But this is not 2020. Back then, only a handful of people on Earth had been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Everyone's immune system was unprepared. Today, the majority of Americans have either contracted COVID-19 or been vaccinated once, twice or three times against it. That should – though there are no hard numbers to confirm it – provide people protection against severe disease and death. Tap the link in bio to read the full story. #omicron