Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Another COVID-19 variant is spreading. And yes, we know you’ve heard that before (but at least it’s been a while). Keeping up with the variants and their names continues to get harder — this subvariant is officially called XBB.1.5. 

The important thing to know is that this variant is creating a stir among experts, who believe it could create another wave in the United States as people get back to normal after traveling for the holidays.

According to the CDC, XBB.1.5 basically doubled each week in December in the U.S. That’s expected to grow, and in the northeast, it’s the most prevalent strain of COVID-19.

The new variant is considered very contagious and includes symptoms like fever, sore throat, muscle aches, exhaustion, nausea, cough and sinus congestion.

We know you’re tired of hearing about COVID, even if it’s been a while since we’ve had it as a regular topic of conversation in this newspaper (which is really saying something.) 

But it’s important to know the symptoms and monitor them as this new variant goes around. Wash your hands and do what you can to stop others from being infected.