JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — COVID-19 case numbers remain low in Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia and around the country.
However, there is a new subvariant called BA.2, that is starting to pop up. The variant now makes up about 23% of all reported COVID-19 cases in the United States.
In the United Kingdom, the subvariant has caused the number of infections to double from two weeks earlier.
“Throughout these pandemics and surges that we've seen, what we're seeing Europe, in the UK, tends to come across our shores," Dr. Mohammed Reza, local infectious disease specialist said.
“It has somewhat given us a head start on what we could possibly see in our country in the coming weeks to months."
While Reza does predict a coronavirus surge here at home, the good news is preliminary data shows the subvariant doesn’t cause more severe disease.
However, now is the time to prepare, he says.
Reza encourages people to get the vaccine or booster dose if they haven't already.
58% of those eligible have received the booster in the UK compared to 29% in the U.S., which is exactly half.
“So, for those that are immunocompromised or older than 65, that's where the concern is. And especially if they're six months beyond their booster or their initial two shots. We're seeing that protection does wane over time," Reza explained. "And even if you've recovered from the infection, we don't know how long that protection lasts.“
He hopes the FDA will soon authorize Pfizer and Moderna’s request for a second booster for people 65 and older.
“So, use judgment, proper judgment, you know, if you do see a large spike in cases in your community, use the guidance the CDC is providing," he said.
Ahead of a future surge, Reza also hopes the government deploys more antiviral medications, which further helps prevent serious infections.