Global fear strikes again as a new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, is reported in several countries.

New travel bans have been imposed after the strain was detected first in South Africa followed by Europe and Asia. Today, the new strain has been found in more than 12 states. According to CBSNews.com, there have been “seven cases in California, one in New Jersey in a Georgia resident, one in Utah, two in Colorado, one in Missouri, one in Pennsylvania, three in Maryland, six in Nebraska, one in Hawaii, eight in New York, one in Minnesota and one in Massachusetts.”

A popular worry among health officials is if the current COVID-19 vaccines will be enough to prevent the Omicron’s severe cases. Scientists are also concerned that the new variant has abnormal mutations that are causing the disease to be more easily transmissible to others.

Officials confirmed Minneapolis’ first COVID-19 Omicron case last week. Peter McGinn was the first known instance of the variant’s spread in the United States. McGinn found out he was COVID-19 positive just a week before Thanksgiving. He said that he is fully vaccinated and received a booster prior to testing positive.

CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, says, “Our recommendations for protecting against COVID-19 remain the same regardless of the variant.”

The World Health Organization says that there is not enough evidence to suggest if symptoms of the new variant are any different than those of the previously researched strands.