Enlarge / Anthony Fauci (R), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, speaks alongside US President Joe Biden as he delivers remarks on the omicron COVID-19 variant following a meeting of the COVID-19 response team at the White House. (credit: Getty | Anna Moneymaker) Amid global panic over the recently identified omicron coronavirus variant, US President Joe Biden on Monday urged Americans to stay calm and continue following health measures known to be highly effective at combating COVID-19—namely, masking, vaccination, and boosting. "This variant is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic," Biden said in remarks delivered from the White House Monday.