Video by Alyona Karavanova

A new COVID-19 subvariant of omicron, , is distinctive because of how fast it spreads. It’s quickly outcompeting other strains of the virus in regions where it has been spreading, and is now the dominant strain in the Northeast U.S., where was first discovered in October 2022. Some people online have taken to calling the new subvariant “kraken” following its quick explosion in the Northeast United States. is a subvariant of omicron, which is itself a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. So what makes different from the original SARS-CoV-2? is the result of the virus undergoing many mutations over the past three years, most of which change how well the virus spreads, and the severity of the disease it causes. What makes unique among the variants and subvariants of the original virus is that it has more mutations to evade immunity than any of its predecessors, Johns Hopkins University says. It’s extremely contagious, says William Schaffner, M.D., a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, but it isn’t producing more severe disease than previous strains of the virus. READ MORE: At 3News, we’re not here to tell you the news, we’re here to share the stories that you say matter most to you. Share your ideas, thoughts, concerns and engage in conversations about the communities in which we all call home. Follow 3News on Social: Facebook:    Twitter:    Instagram:    Visit our site:  And be sure to download our app here: