Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on Dec. 5 that Americans shouldn’t panic over the COVID-19 Omicron variant, but urged the public to continue taking precautions, such as wearing masks, to protect themselves against the virus.
Murthy acknowledged that he is “concerned” that Omicron, which was first discovered in South Africa last month, might be more transmissible than other variants such Alpha and Delta, the latter of which emerged earlier this year as the dominant strain.
