A variant of COVID-19 has been going around Minnesota once again.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS anchor Leah McClean sat down with KSTP health expert Dr. Archelle Georgiou to discuss the latest with the virus.

A new variant called “pirola,” with 34 to 36 potential mutations, emerged in August, experts say.

First lady Jill Biden recently tested positive for the virus and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it’s seeing a slight increase in the number of hospital admissions and emergency room visits for people with COVID.

The new variant has been fueling some concern but reports of severe illness from the virus are still low.

Dr. Georgious said this variant is less capable of entering the cells in the body, which means it’s less likely to cause severe illness.

People who are the most protected are those who have contracted the variant omicron in the past six months, Georgiou added.