Since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in November 2021, it has rapidly swept the world in a few months. Many countries in the world have witnessed a new round of epidemics with Omicron as the main epidemic strain, and some cities in China, such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai, have not been spared. Omicron spike protein contains a large number of mutations and has strong immune escape ability, which poses a great threat to the existing vaccines and antibody-related therapy. Although disease symptoms caused by Omicron variant are mild, the global health system is under great pressure due to its high transmission rate. In this paper, the pathogenic characteristics, variation sources, transmission characteristics, epidemic status and control measures of Omicron variant are reviewed, so as to provide reference for scientific control.