WASHINGTON — On Thursday, millions of Americans gathered for what was, for many, their first normal Thanksgiving since 2019. On Friday, the nation groggily awoke to news that a new coronavirus variant, tagged as B.1.1.529 and named Omicron, had been detected in South Africa. “This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning,” the World Health Organization said in a statement.

President Biden on Sunday returned to Washington from Nantucket to meet with his pandemic response team, in a reflection of how serious the situation could be. He will deliver a White House address on the new variant Monday afternoon.

It’s not exactly how anyone wanted to