WASHINGTON_NP0 –_PUN A_AT0 few_DT0 weeks_NN2 after_PRP millions_CRD of_PRF Americans_NN2 traveled_VVN for_PRP Thanksgiving_NN1 ,_PUN the_AT0 omicron_NN1 variant_NN1 is_VBZ emerging_AJ0 as_PRP many_DT0 more_DT0 people_NN0 begin_VVB to_TO0 set_VVI out_AVP for_PRP Christmas_NN1 and_CJC New_AJ0 Year_NN1 's_VBZ ,_PUN worrying_AJ0 public_AJ0 health_NN1 officials_NN2 and_CJC complicating_AJ0 travel_NN1 plans_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 end-of-year_AJ0 rush_NN1 –_PUN typically_AV0 the_AT0 busiest_AJS holiday_NN1 travel_NN1 period_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 year_NN1 –_PUN will_VM0 occur_VVI as_CJS researchers_NN2 scramble_VVB to_TO0 fully_AV0 understand_VVI the_AT0 new_AJ0 coronavirus_NN1 variant_NN1 's_POS transmissibility_NN1 ,_PUN severity_NN1 and_CJC defenses_NN2 against_PRP vaccines_NN2 ._SENT But_CJC travel_NN1 watchers_NN2 say_VVB they_PNP expect_VVI confidence_NN1 in_PRP vaccines_NN2 and_CJC booster_NN1 shots_NN2 ,_PUN coupled_VVN with_PRP mounting_VVG pandemic_AJ0 fatigue_NN1 after_PRP almost_AV0 two_CRD years_NN2 ,_PUN will_VM0 keep_VVI millions_CRD traveling_VVG over_PRP the_AT0 winter_NN1 holidays_NN2 despite_PRP the_AT0 increased_AJ0 uncertainty_NN1 ._SENT Rishabh_NP0 Chauhan_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 University_NN1 of_PRF Illinois_NP0 at_PRP Chicago_NP0 doctoral_AJ0 candidate_NN1 studying_VVG public_AJ0 risk_NN1 perception_NN1 and_CJC behavior_NN1 during_PRP the_AT0 pandemic_AJ0 ,_PUN said_VVD early_AJ0 reports_NN2 of_PRF the_AT0 variant_NN1 appearing_VVG to_TO0 be_VBI more_AV0 transmissible_AJ0 but_CJC less_AV0 dangerous_AJ0 probably_AV0 will_VM0 leave_VVI most_DT0 holiday_NN1 travel_NN1 plans_VVZ intact_AJ0 ._SENT "_PUQ We_PNP think_VVB omicron_NP0 might_VM0 put_VVI a_AT0 small_AJ0 dent_NN1 in_PRP travel_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC we_PNP have_VHB n't_XX0 heard_VVN about_PRP any_DT0 mass_AJ0 cancellations_NN2 ,_PUN "_PUQ Chauhan_NP0 said_VVD ._SENT "_PUQ But_CJC we_PNP 're_VBB living_VVG in_PRP very_AV0 uncertain_AJ0 times_NN2 ._SENT News_NN1 is_VBZ coming_VVG out_AVP every_AT0 day_NN1 ,_PUN so_CJS it_PNP 's_VBZ shaky_AJ0 to_TO0 talk_VVI about_PRP the_AT0 future_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ With_PRP many_DT0 travel_NN1 plans_VVZ still_AV0 a_AT0 week_NN1 away_AV0 ,_PUN and_CJC medical_AJ0 research_NN1 findings_NN2 emerging_VVG daily_AJ0 ,_PUN Chauhan_NP0 and_CJC other_AJ0 experts_NN2 say_VVB it_PNP 's_VBZ difficult_AJ0 to_TO0 forecast_VVI the_AT0 variant_NN1 's_POS effects_NN2 on_PRP pent-up_AJ0 demand_NN1 for_PRP holiday_NN1 travel_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Delta_NN1 gave_VVD a_AT0 body_NN1 blow_NN1 to_PRP air_NN1 travel_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC now_AV0 with_PRP omicron_NN1 there_EX0 's_VBZ a_AT0 great_AJ0 deal_NN1 of_PRF speculation_NN1 of_PRF what_DTQ it_PNP means_VVZ ,_PUN "_PUQ said_VVD Sheldon_NP0 H_NP0 ._SENT Jacobson_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 professor_NN1 of_PRF computer_NN1 science_NN1 at_PRP the_AT0 University_NN1 of_PRF Illinois_NP0 at_PRP Urbana-Champaign_NP0 who_PNQ uses_VVZ data_NN0 modeling_VVG to_TO0 analyze_VVI the_AT0 impact_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 virus_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 aviation_NN1 system_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Until_CJS more_DT0 data_NN0 is_VBZ available_AJ0 ,_PUN it_PNP 's_VBZ hard_AJ0 to_TO0 predict_VVI ._SENT "_PUQ The_AT0 travel_NN1 industry_NN1 is_VBZ coming_VVG off_AVP a_AT0 big_AJ0 Thanksgiving_NN1 bounce_NN1 ,_PUN signaling_VVG that_CJT many_DT0 travelers_NN2 will_VM0 tolerate_VVI a_AT0 certain_AJ0 amount_NN1 of_PRF risk_NN1 ._SENT Air_NN1 travel_NN1 over_PRP the_AT0 10-day_AJ0 holiday_NN1 period_NN1 more_AV0 than_CJS doubled_VVN compared_VVN with_PRP 2020_CRD ,_PUN according_VVG to_PRP the_AT0 Transportation_NN1 Security_NN1 Administration_NN1 (_PUL TSA_NP0 )_PUR ._SENT The_AT0 21_CRD million_CRD people_NN0 screened_VVN at_PRP security_NN1 checkpoints_NN2 amounted_VVD to_PRP more_AV0 than_CJS 90_CRD %_NN0 of_PRF pre-pandemic_AJ0 levels_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 more_DT0 than_CJS 2.4_CRD million_CRD screened_VVD the_AT0 Sunday_NP0 after_PRP Thanksgiving_NN1 hit_VVD the_AT0 highest_AJS daily_AJ0 tally_NN1 since_PRP the_AT0 pandemic_AJ0 began_VVD ,_PUN according_VVG to_PRP TSA_NP0 figures_NN2 ._SENT 
