When will the coronavirus variant known as Omicron arrive at BU? Although it\u2019s hard to predict, it seems like a foregone conclusion that it\u2019s only a matter of time given how quickly Omicron has spread around the world\u2014already infecting people in more than 30 countries across 6 continents, and at least 16 US states. On December 4, the\u00a0<\/span>first known case of Omicron in Massachusetts<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>was detected in a woman in her 20s who lives in Middlesex County.<\/p>\n One thing\u2019s for certain\u2014if and when Omicron infects a member of BU\u2019s community, its presence will be quickly detected.<\/p>\n The University\u2019s testing program\u2014which screens a pool of all students, faculty, and staff that come to BU\u2019s campuses\u2014hinges upon its Clinical Testing Lab, which was rapidly outfitted with machinery and custom software to screen nasal swabs for coronavirus over the summer of 2020. Fully operational for the last year and a half, it has screened over two million swabs and is capable of processing up to 6,000 coronavirus tests per day.<\/p>\n