With COVID-19 cases continuing to drop across the nation after months' long highs, some experts are warning that a resurgence could be looming in the weeks ahead.
Dr. Michael Osterholm shared more on this and the possibility of a resurgence with News Talk 830 WCCO's Chad Hartman.
Osterholm warned of a possible spike due to the BA.2 omicron variant, saying that "over the next several weeks, we're likely going to see case numbers increasing again."
While he doesn't know how much cases will rise, Osterholm shared that Europe has seen an increase, and the variant has been there longer than it has been here. Like with most other projections, he feels we could see what they are seeing now, soon.
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Those getting infected in Europe are among the unvaccinated, but Osterholm also said that some are breakthrough infections.
"It's not that we're over with it yet, and I think a lot of people want to assume the virus is done with us, but it's not," Osterholm said.
BA.2 is a subvariant of the COVID-19 omicron variant. While omicron was highly-infectious compared to other variants of the virus, Osterholm asked for humility when explaining what he knows, saying there isn't much.
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"There's a lot we don't understand or don't know yet about what's happening with COVID in our communities," Osterholm said.
Early reports suggest that BA.2 is anywhere from "30% to 80% more infectious" than the original strain of the omicron variant, according to Osterholm.
"With BA.2, it's unclear if some of the spikes in cases we're seeing, particularly in places like Europe, are related just to BA.2," Osterholm said.
Osterholm explained that it's complicated as the issue could be the subvariant being in the community, but also communities having immunity wane being far out from their vaccinations.
Restrictions being eased could also be a factor in why cases are increasing again in Europe, but Osterholm wanted to make it clear that there is no one specific thing; they are all working together.
As for what we can do to protect ourselves, Osterholm says stay vigilant and don't think COVID-19 has gone away. He says get vaccinated, get boosted, and make smart decisions.
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Mask mandates
Only 35 of the 500 largest school districts in the U.S. currently have mask mandates in place. While many have shared their dismay over the decision, Osterholm said that it only makes sense if kids are wearing high-quality masks, like the N95 or KN95.
"The other masks have very limited utility. Face cloth coverings or surgical masks actually do little to reduce transmission of a virus like omicron," Osterholm said. "So from that perspective, I don't support mandates of masking if you're using inferior protection. On the other hand, if you're using good protection, that's a very different situation, and I very strongly support [it]."
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