DOUG COVID STRAINS HAD ELEVATED RATES IN NEW MEXICO. FAITH EGBUONU SPOKE WITH A DOCTOR ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW AND DO. COVID STILL MAKING ITS ROUNDS. DOCTOR MEGAN BRETT WITH UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HOSPITAL TELLING US THE VIRUS IS NOW AT ELEVATED RATES ACROSS THE STATE. THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE COVID INFECTION AT THIS POINT IN TIME. IF YOU'RE GOING OUT TO PLACES OR KIDS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL, THEN THEN THEY MAY BE COMING HOME WITH RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS LIKE COUGH OR SORE THROAT. WITH NEW VACCINES UNDERWAY, DOCTOR BRETT BELIEVES YOUR BEST BET IS TO GET ONE NOW GET VACCINATED. I THINK THAT'S THE KEY THING AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COVID. THE VACCINES TARGETING A DIFFERENT STRAIN OF VIRUS THAN LAST YEAR. WHAT THE VACCINE MANUFACTURERS HAVE DONE IS TRIED TO MATCH THE VACCINE TO THE STRAINS THAT ARE CIRCULATING. REAL TIME DATA FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PROTECTION SHOW CURRENT EPIDEMIC GROWTH STATUSES. NEW MEXICO, NOW CONSIDERED STABLE OR UNCERTAIN. THIS HAS BEEN CLIMBING, I WOULD SAY, SINCE JULY. DOCTOR BRETT TELLING US THIS WAVE OF COCOVID STARTED BEFORE KIDS WENT BACK TO SCHOOL IN AUGUST. AND WHAT I WOULD PUT THIS ON IS MORE ABOUT THE VIRUS CONTINUING TO CHANGE. CONTINUING TO CHANGE. SO THAT ANY IMMUNITY THAT ANY PROTECTION THAT WE HAD FROM PREVIOUS INFECTIONS OR FROM THE VACCINE, IT KIND OF WORKS TO ESCAPE THAT. CDC REPORTING THE 3.11 STRAIN AS THE PREDOMINANT VARIANT. IT'S STILL THE BIG CATEGORY OF OMICRON. THAT HASN'T CHANGED AT ALL. DOCTOR BRETT REMINDING US TO BE MINDFUL OF GATHERINGS AS THE HOLIDAYS NEAR. WASHING YOUR HANDS. STAYING HOME IF YOU'RE SICK, EVEN THOUGH I KNOWOW IT'S TEMPTG TO GO TO TO PARTIES AND AND CELEBRATIONS DURING THINGS LIKE LABOR DAY, FAITH EGBUONU KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. THE DOCTOR ADVISES EVERYONE TO