What you need to know about the new Covid-19 variant

To the world’s chagrin, COVID-19 is back in the news. Reports of a new strain and rumors of returning mandates understandably have many of us on edge. What’s actually happening, and how concerned should we be?

Nurse Practitioner Kristian Spear, Memorial Health System Clinical Director of Physician Clinics, offers some answers:

What new strain is out there now? Is it particularly bad, and how does it compare to previous strains?

As of Aug. 30, BA.2.86 is the latest strain of COVID-19 making headlines. The upcoming months certainly will yield more respiratory illnesses across the board, including influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). School is back in session, and the upcoming holiday gatherings will bring people closer together. The last four years have proven to be very unusual, and predicting what is to come is difficult. Flu and RSV were seen earlier in the season than in previous years, and it is highly likely this could happen again. We are already beginning to see this trend.

Are we seeing an uptick in local COVID cases? More ER visits, hospitalizations or deaths?

COVID-19 hospitalizations were notable last year, but not as high as previous years. The new variant, BA.2.86, is being studied, and at this point, it is unclear if it will take off or die down. We have seen a small uptick in positive cases, but we do not appear to be returning to March 2020 levels. We are not seeing large volumes of patients on the ventilator thus far.

Do you foresee a return to any of the mandated measures taken during the pandemic?

I do not foresee a return to mandatory masking with this current strain if we continue on the current path.

What precautions, if any, do you recommend, as we prepare to gather for the holiday season? What do you foresee for COVID in general looking ahead?

Our previous exposure to COVID-19 means our immune systems will recognize it and help fight it off. What we have learned throughout the last four years is that we do have good tools available to help stop the spread. As always, proper handwashing, vaccinations, social distancing and taking oral antivirals (e.g. Paxlovid) if you test positive are all recommended.

If you have COVID or have been exposed, what are your recommendations?

We recommend following the CDC guidelines if you test positive for COVID-19: Stay home at least five days, and isolate from others in your home. You are most likely infectious during the first five days, but this could vary for some patients. Please consult your healthcare provider for individual guidance.

Some additional resources for COVID-19 info: