Opinion: A new immunity-evading virus variant looms. Here’s how to fight it.

Get ready: Another covid wave is on the horizon because of a new immunity-evading subvariant, BQ.1, and its offshoots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, based in part on models, that BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 now account for nearly 17 percent of infections in the United States, up from zero a few weeks ago. The prevalent BA.5 variant is starting to fade. Especially at risk are the unvaccinated and those who have not gotten a shot of the new boosters. Right now, the pandemic in the United States is in a lull, and overall levels remain relatively low. There are 260,808 new reported cases a week and 2,566 weekly deaths, the CDC said, partially based on modeling. Covid-19 has been one of the leading causes of death in the United States, but the numbers are far smaller than during the omicron surge last winter.