Four years after COVID-19, multiple mutations of the omicron variant are making their way through the United States again.

Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a virus-borne infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It began to take the world by storm in 2019, and eventually managed to shut down the planet in 2020, putting every country on lockdown one by one.

Things only managed to return to life as usual around last year, so what does the possibility of a second round of COVID mean for schools? Health teacher Curt Ruch at West, explains what might happen, suggesting, “If it continues to increase I know our administrations always said, and the school boards always said, they will take whatever precautions the state and the county says to take.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the EG.5 subvariant is currently the dominant strain in the United States, resulting in approximately 21 percent of new cases in recent weeks. Another strain, FL 1.5.1, is also increasing quickly, making up 13.3 percent of new possibilities, nearly doubling the amount it was responsible for the week prior.

The EG.5 and FL 1.5.1 subvariants, like COVID, mostly affect the upper respiratory tract, causing a runny nose, sore throat, and other cold-like symptoms, as opposed to lower respiratory tract symptoms. Both these subvariants put those of older age, as well as people with a weaker immune system at risk of severe illness.

 The CDC has established that these subvariants may be more capable of causing infection in patients who have previously had COVID-19 or have received COVID-19 vaccinations. That is, it may be more likely than prior strains of the virus to induce breakthrough infections. 

While testing for COVID-19 is strongly suggested, new variants can be difficult to detect. Taking measures, however, may still be necessary, especially if you are at a higher risk of serious sickness. Nurse Susan Hurley expresses what she’s been seeing from her end, “We continue to stress basic infection control as well (hand washing, covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, etc.).  This year has been busy, but we’ve been seeing mostly cold symptoms and allergies so far.” With these new subvariants around, it’s important to try to prevent illness from spreading, by practicing basic etiquette and staying home if sick.