New COVID subvariant identified in Delaware as cases continue to surge
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new COVID subvariant has been identified Tuesday for the first time in our area, in Delaware. This comes as cases are increasing now and also striking again in the White House.
The First Lady has COVID, and the President has tested negative twice but will be wearing a mask when he's inside around people as a precaution. Doctors say because of her age 72, Jill Biden is at risk for complications.
President Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday after the First Lady tested positive for the virus a day earlier, the White House said.
Jill Biden has COVID-19 for the second time.
The White House says she's experiencing mild symptoms and is staying at the family vacation home in Rehoboth Beach as a precaution.
Hours after that announcement the Delaware Health Department said the state had its first case of the BA.2.86 variant which has a large number of mutations compared to other subvariants.
Officials aren't saying where the case was detected or how. It's unclear if Jill Biden is infected with the new variant that's been identified overseas and in just four states including Delaware.
Jill Biden is also missing the first day of school, teaching at a local community college. She joins a growing number of Americans diagnosed with COVID.
"COVID is rising across the country and there has been some spillover into hospitalizations," Infectious disease specialist Dr. William Schaffner said.
According to the CDC, hospitalizations were up almost 19% in one week last month.
"How bad it's going to get, we don't know. As you know this is a very unpredictable virus. It's shown us that over the last three and a half years," Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Chief Medical Advisor to the President said.
The CDC recommends that people with COVID should isolate for at least five days, wear a mask until testing negative twice over a two-day period and keep up to date with vaccinations.
"We have every expectation that the new booster which will become available mid-September should provide protection against severe disease caused by these variants going forward," Schaffner said.
The CDC is expected to review the updated COVID vaccine next week and if there are no issues with testing it's expected to be available later this month.