Now that COVID-19 cases are on the rise yet again, experts warn that we may be on the verge of another surge in most states after a two-month decline. While no one expects a peak as high as the last one when the omicron variant tore through the nation, there is worry that the BA.2 variant, which is 30% more contagious than the original omicron (known as BA.1), will cause more illness and hospitalization.

“We don’t know how high that mountain’s going to grow,” said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University, according to U.S. News & World Report. Hospitalizations are already increasing in the Northeast and the case wave may be even bigger than it looks since many people are home testing and not reporting their infections.

Experts say that preventative measures to protect against the BA2 variant are the same as for other mutations: get vaccinated and boosted, mask up if you have symptoms or are in public places where social distancing is impossible and avoid super-spreader events.

Dr. Emil Tsai, chief scientist and CEO of  SyneuRx, a global biotech company, tells Eat This, Not That! Health that while BA.1 continues to be active, BA.2 is now the dominant variant in the U.S.

“More than 50% of cases in the U.S. are the BA.2 variant which is much more contagious but does not have increased severity of illness or death,” he says. But Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, a global health expert and physician at Staten Island University Hospital, warns that the new variant is still dangerous to the unvaccinated. People should be aware of the most common symptoms and test before seeing more vulnerable family members.

“First signs tend to be congestion and other symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, such as a runny nose or sore throat,” he says. “You should test after an exposure, or any COVID-compatible symptoms.” Cioe-Pena told Eat this, Not That! Health that the only way to be sure you have COVID-19 and not the flu or a cold is to test. “It’s hard to tell based on symptoms,” said the expert.

While the current omicron variant may be less severe than the original virus that caused COVID-19, it can still cause long-term symptoms.

“Some people who suffer from the virus have long-lasting symptoms that persist for weeks or months, which is less common than other viral illness,” said Hannah Newman, director of epidemiology at Lenox Hill Hospital. These symptoms include fatigue, shortness or breath, brain fog, chest pain, cough, muscle pains, changes in taste and smell along with heart and gastrointestinal issues.