The government is wary of the new mutant strain of Covid-19 - cases of which have been reported across the UK.
The Omicron variant is a new strain believed to have originated in South Africa and has been cited as the reasoning behind the introduction of restrictions like mask-wearing in shops and other public places.
But there is some level of confusion over how dangerous the variant actually is and how concerned the general public should be.
Some believe the variant could be a good thing due to its reported 'milder' cold-like symptoms, but research by scientists is ongoing.
Complications can arise from a new variant and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have said they are investigating whether the mutation is worse than other variants.
So, how dangerous is the Omicron variant?
What is the Omicron Covid variant?
Viruses adapt and change over time to become more resistant to the antibodies that stop them, which has led to a new mutant strain of Covid named 'Omicron'.
Concerns have risen over this particular Omicron variant as it is believed to have around 30 different mutations, double the number of mutations the Delta variant has.
Recent government data reports that the Delta variant accounts for 15% of UK coronavirus cases.
There have been several new variants of the coronavirus, but some are more severe than others.
Severity lies in if a virus has worse symptoms, if it is more transmissible and if it can resist vaccines.
WHO said: "Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalisation in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron."
How dangerous is the Omicron variant?
The Omicron variant has so far been widely reported as having milder symptoms than other variants. Symptoms are believed to be extreme tiredness, mild muscle ache and a scratchy throat.
Research is underway, but it has not been officially confirmed that milder symptoms are to be expected.
Chair of the South African Medical Association Dr Angelique Coetzee, told AFP: "We have seen a lot of Delta patients during the third wave.
"And this [Omicron] doesn't fit in the clinical picture. Most of them are seeing very, very mild symptoms and none of them so far have admitted patients to surgeries."
But not enough is yet known to rule out or discount fears of the virus and it is also unclear how the virus affects different ages. Younger patients are expected to fare better against the virus anyway.
The BBC reported leaked minutes of a government SAGE meeting which said the impact of Omicron is "highly uncertain" and that there could be a "potentially significant" wave of infections.
There are also concerns over if the variant is more resistant to vaccines and if it is more transmissible.
Does the vaccine work against the Omicron variant?
Early indications suggest that vaccinated people tend to fare better against the variant, but this has not been confirmed.
For other variants, the vaccine is designed to prevent people from getting the virus, but is known to make symptoms milder if people catch it anyway.
In a briefing by the South African Department of Health, a GP on the outskirts of Johannesburg, said of the cases so far: "We are seeing patients present with dry cough, fever, night sweats and a lot of body pains. Vaccinated people tend to do much better."
General NHS advice is to get the vaccine and the booster has also been rolled out for all eligible adults. The NHS say that having a vaccine means a reduced risk of "getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19", catching and spreading the virus and also protecting against new variants.
Major vaccine producers like AstraZeneca and Pfizer, as well as others, have all acknowledged they are researching the variant in an attempt to understand if their vaccines work against it. Results are expected to be published in the coming weeks.
Ugur Sahin, the CEO of BioNTech who helped develop the Pfizer vaccine, told Sky News: "To my mind there's no reason to be particularly worried. The only thing that worries me at the moment is the fact that there are people that have not been vaccinated at all."
