Flight cancellations rack up. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warns of a meltdown if the Omicron variant continues to spread. It will.

Flight cancellations have stranded hundreds of thousands of people. Economic consequences will be severe, not only to the airline industry but across multiple other sectors as stranded workers fail to show up when expected. But we should not blame COVID-19. Omicron may be more contagious than other variants, but it is seldom more severe than a cold. Put another way, most of those in hospitals with Omicron may have COVID-19, but are not there because of it.