CHARLOTTESVILLE (WINA) – A new omicron variant is becoming more dominant that, once again, is a bit better at evading immunization than previous variants. The prominence in Virginia is such that the CDC recommends masking for those in higher risk categories in 57 Virginia localities — including the entire metro Richmond area. UVa Health infectious disease specialist, Dr. Patrick Jackson, says the “X-B-B 1.5” omicron variant is what’s taking off now, and the percentage of the infections is different in different regions. In our area, it’s about 30-percent. The good news is while “X-B-B 1.5” is increasing infections, people are not getting any sicker than previous variants… and the thinking continues that there’s enough natural immunity and vaccination that we’re not going to see the surge we saw with previous variants.