An estimated 53 million Americans returned from their holiday travel this weekend to news of a new variant of COVID-19.The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa and cases have since been reported in a growing number of countries including Germany, Canada, Australia, and the U.K.Experts say it's only a matter of time before cases are reported in the U.S. President Joe Biden spoke yesterday about the new variant, telling Americans not to panic. But even as we consider the immediate concerns over Omicron, scientists are pointing to a longer-term issue: a growing number of animals becoming infected with COVID-19. These spillover events where germs jump from humans to animals and back again can create new viral strains.We discuss what this means for the state of the pandemic.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.