Omicron was first reported in the UK on November 27 and it fast became the dominant covid-19 strain with thousands of people testing positive each day.
Today (January 3), latest data from Scottish Government shows that 20,217 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland within the last 24 hours meaning it is the highest daily figure since the beginning of the pandemic.
However in some hopeful news, it's reported the symptoms of Omicron are less severe than those associated with previous strains of the virus.
Some of the latest data from the ZOE covid study show that at present, Scotland's R value is estimated to be sitting at 1.1 whilst on average, 1 in 41 people in Scotland have symptomatic covid.
According to the NHS, the three main symptoms of covid are a high temperature, a new or continuous cough and loss or change to your sense of taste or smell.
But Omicron has eight symptoms which could set it apart from other variants.
These symptoms include:
Other signs of the variant include congestion, brain fog, night sweats, skin rashes and even sore eyes in some patients.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who first raised the alarm on the new variant, also warned that certain symptoms like headaches and sore muscles are felt more intensely, especially by those who are unvaccinated.
However, there are some lesser-known signs of omicron appearing on the skin, lips and nails that patients should seek urgent medical attention for, reports the Mirror.
What are the Omicron symptoms on the skin, lips and nails and what do they mean?
If you notice your nail beds have turned blue or grey, seek immediate medical attention
The American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that people with omicron report a wide range of symptoms besides the main three.
The CDC have also warned that we should watch out for pale, grey or blue-coloured skin, lips or nail beds - depending on our skin tone - as this can indicate low levels of oxygen in the blood.
The health body described these symptoms as "emergency warning signs" for which we should seek immediate care.
These emergency signs also include trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, and the inability to wake or stay awake.
