The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Central District Health on Friday announced the first confirmed infection with the BA.2 sub-variant of the COVID-19 omicron variant in Ada County.

“The identification of the first infection with this sub-variant of omicron is a reminder that the virus that causes COVID-19 will continue to mutate as long as it is being transmitted," said Dr. Christine Hahn, state epidemiologist and the medical director for DHW’s Division of Public Health.

Health officials have been saying with more frequency that another variant — after alpha, delta and omicron — could soon come along, one that hits children harder. While this is actually a sub-variant of a variant, a new variant might not be far behind.

Omicron is said to be more contagious but milder than delta. This sub-variant could be even more contagious or milder yet. Doctors just don't know.

"The BA.1 lineage of omicron is currently causing 98 percent of all COVID-19 infections in Idaho, making the severity of illness and infectiousness from the BA.2 sub-variant unknown," according to a press release.

The BA.2 sub-variant has been identified in 22 U.S. states and at least 40 countries where it's reportedly spreading quickly, the release said.

Early data from Asia and Europe indicate there have not been major differences in disease severity or the effectiveness of currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines against the BA.2 sub-lineage, the release said.

It also raises the question of whether current vaccines will help prevent people from being infected.

"COVID-19 treatments and vaccines may become less effective as mutations continue to emerge," the release said.

In Oregon, despite nearly 75% of adults in Oregon being fully vaccinated, health officials said hospitals are near their COVID-19 breaking point.

As of Thursday, only 59 adult Intensive Care Unit beds were available in Oregon, and 94% of non-ICU beds were filled, the Associated Press reported.

Kootenai Health reported it had 99 COVID-19 inpatients, with 17 requiring critical care, on Friday. About four weeks ago, it had 36 COVID-19 inpatients.

With that in mind, officials wanted to get word out right away about this new threat to public health.

“We will continue to monitor this and future variants and are committed to transparency in informing the public what we know when we know it," Hahn said.

Katherine Hoyer, Panhandle Health District spokeswoman, said each COVID infection that occurs is an opportunity for the virus to mutate once again.

"What’s concerning is that we won’t know if the next variant will be mild or worse," she wrote. "Fortunately, we know that the same precautions we’ve taken to protect ourselves from previous variants, can and should be used against Omicron and the sub-variant. Masking, distancing, hand hygiene, ventilation, and vaccine are precautions we can all take."