The highly mutated COVID-19 variant was named omicron by public health authorities who say it’s likely omicron had been circulating for some time before it was identified in South Africa Nov. 25. Scientists are scrambling to learn about omicron’s transmissibility, severity and ability to evade vaccines. AJC journalists are following the variant with a focus on what it means in Georgia.

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Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller