This was always going to happen given the sheer size of the petri dish that covid can mutate in. I expect that we are only in the early innings of the entire pandemic, but it could just as easily eventually mutate into something really contagious yet about like a bad cold in terms of mortality.
On a positive note Pfizer has suggested that they may be able to modify their vaccine to suit in as little as ten weeks. Which makes 2022 a repeat of 2021 if Omicron is as dangerous as Delta.
The early reports are only anecdotal, but there is a suggestion that hospitalisations are lower with Omicron. Here’s hoping…