Omicron Variant Timeline: COVID-19 Strain Is Now The Most Dominant In U.S.

The B.1.1.529 COVID-19 variant, known as the OMICRON variant, was first detected in South Africa and has since been classified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization. The CDC reported that the OMICRON variant became the dominant strain in the U.S. in December 2021. President Joe Biden has since lifted travel bans from 8 African countries starting December 31 after the emergence of the variant. Here’s a timeline of the new COVID-19 variant.