What Omicron means for schools this winter

What to know about how Omicron is affecting schools, teachers, parents, and students

A schoolchild.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

The sudden national onset of Omicron has induced an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu, a sense of dread that the explosive rise of the hyper-transmissible, little-understood new coronavirus variant could drag us all back to the bad old days of last winter.

Professional sports leagues are suspending their seasons; plays and concerts are being canceled; colleges with COVID-19 outbreaks sent students home early for winter break; restaurants and bars in some parts of the country are closing; and many hospitals and their ICUs are filling up — only this time, people are 20 months into the pandemic and sick of living in various physical and metaphorical boxes.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.