A new COVID-19 variant is causing concern among health care professionals. The XBB 1.5 variant is also known as the Kraken variant.It's showing a rapid rise in incident rates in eastern counties of Kentucky. So far, no cases of Kraken have been reported by Norton Healthcare in Louisville.However, doctors say testing takes time, and results are often delayed.Your best defense is another booster shot, which physicians recommend, but not everyone is willing to take another COVID-19 shot."Maybe the idea is if I don't need to wear a mask or I don't need to worry about this when I do whatever, then why do I have to keep getting vaccinated?" said Norton Healthcare infectious diseases specialist Dr. Paul Schulz.Schulz adds that some folks are missing the bigger picture. He says getting vaccinated may be the reason we no longer have to wear masks or quarantine.Norton Healthcare pediatric infectious diseases specialist Dr. Kristina Bryant adds: 맥스카지노�The truth is that while COVID-19 can be a mild disease for many people, there are still individuals who are at risk for severe COVID-19."That includes people with underlying health conditions and those who are older.Doctors say anyone 5 and older is eligible for a booster if it's been two months since their last vaccine dose.Currently, there are 57 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Norton hospitals.