It is nice to see how happy people are since the mask mandate was lifted. However, COVID is not gone yet. People need to make sure to not get too nonchalant about the disease. Everywhere on the news more restrictions are falling to the wayside, and yet those stories are followed by more death announcements. While people can get sick and die from many causes, with a virus, things are a bit more serious. Viruses change the game because they mutate so quickly. COVID being a prime example with multiple different variants and sub-variants. Within these different variants, some strains are deadly while some are easier to spread.

The WHO states that the newest of the variants is the XE variant. Its place of origin is still being debated but it is another form of the Omicron strain. The XE strain is a recombinant of the omicron variant’s BA.1 and BA.2 sub-variants. According to the World Health Organization, “Early estimates based on limited preliminary data suggest that XE is about 1.1 times more transmissible than BA.2.” There is still much more to be learned about this new variant. They also state that while epidemiologists are still trying to gather enough data to pinpoint symptoms specific to the XE strain, the concern is that it will spread farther and faster than any strain before.

While people seem happy to get back to a feeling of “normalcy,” it is far too soon to let our guard down. Even without the new variants, the base strain of COVID can still be a threat to people vaccinated since it doesn’t guarantee 100% safety from the virus. People are still testing positive and being hospitalized across the world. With the amount of people who refrain from reporting positive cases, the numbers could be much higher than believed. With all the uncertainty with our present and our future, people need to remain vigilant. As one of the CDC directors, Rochelle Walensay, M.D. states, “Though we are encouraged by the current trends, we’re not there yet.” People need to continue being cautious even if not to protect themselves but to protect those around them.