WATCH: LI Doctor Finds New COVID-19 Variant 'Worrisome'

VALLEY STREAM, NY — Cases of COVID-19 across Long Island are still above 10 percent. The main culprit is the latest Omicron variant-- BA.5 -- and Dr. Chid Iloabachie, an emergency medicine physician at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream, was a guest on Thursday's "Patch AM" to discuss the summer surge.

"BA.5 is doing, I think, two things that are making it particularly worrisome for the medical community and for the population in general," Iloabachie said.

The new variant is highly transmissible, although perhaps not as much as the original Omicron version, he said.

A bigger concern, though, is "the degree to which it's exhibiting immune escape," meaning people could get infected despite having had COVID-19 previously or being fully vaccinated and boosted.

"That's what's making it a really troublesome virus for us," Iloabachie said.

The doctor said having vaccinations up-to-date remains an important line of defense against serious illness, hospitalization and death for everyone, but especially for the most vulnerable population.

Iloabachie anticipates another booster, likely Omicron-specific, to be available in the fall or by early next year.

"I would not wait to get your vaccine or booster, because anything can happen between now and then," he said.

Watch the full "Patch AM" interview below.