BUFFALO, N.Y. — Doctors in New York are monitoring the spread of omicron variant BA.2 as it ramps up in Europe.

Dr. Thomas Russo, an infectious diseases specialist at Buffalo VA Medical Center, said the variant does not appear to cause more severe symptoms than the original omicron strain, but it is just as potentially deadly.

He said the variant, which has been identified since November, is more than 30% more infectious and remains a serious threat to those who are immunocompromised, unvaccinated or elderly. While numbers do not show a sharp increase in the United States, Russo said doctors will keep an eye on it as we move into spring.

“I think another factor that will help us, although it wasn’t a good thing at the time, a lot of people were infected in this country in that omicron wave, many more so than certain parts of Europe,” Russo said. “And as a result, that has increased our immunity wall because those individuals should be largely protected, at least on the short term.”

He said the best line of defense is a full round of COVID-19 vaccines including a booster shot, and wearing a mask while indoors with high-risk individuals.