On November 23^rd, scientists in South Africa alerted the world to a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Officially named the B.1.1.529 variant, it has been  designated Omicron as part of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Greek naming system, and has put health officials and researchers around the world on high alert as they make sense of its potential implications for the ongoing global pandemic. In addition to South Africa, the new variant has been detected in at least 15 countries in Africa, Europe, and North America, according to CNN, prompting myriad restrictions on international travel. The variant is likely already present in additional countries, including the United States, The Wall Street Journal reports