Three years on since the COVID-19 outbreak turned into a global pandemic and another new coronavirus variant has surfaced.

The omicron subvariant named XBB.1.5 has caused just over 40% of new coronavirus infections in the United States, the CDC says.

About 75% of new coronavirus cases in the Northeastern U.S. are from the XBB.1.5 strain.

Dr. Barbara Mahon, director of the CDC's proposed Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division, said, "We're projecting that it's going to be the dominant variant in the Northeast region of the country and that it's going to increase in all regions of the country," CBS News reported.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said, "Probably the worst variant that the world is facing right now is actually XBB," according to Reuters.

Dr. Jay Varma of Cornell Medicine said this is a very "precarious" time for the U.S. health care system and public health experts worry about a possible surge in infections.

Varma also said that Americans shouldn't be overly alarmed as the variant is expected to cause similar issues seen earlier this year, he told PBS.

Experts urge the public to take similar precautions as people were asked to do earlier in the year and last year to slow the spread, including wearing a mask whenever possible, such as when traveling.

The CDC said that at this point, there isn't the belief that "XBB.1.5 is more severe" compared to COVID-19.

Public health officials also haven't reported additional symptoms tied to the XBB.1.5 strain outside of symptoms listed with previous variants and COVID-19.

Axios reported that in October, health officials deemed the XBB.1.5 variant as well suited to evade COVID-19 immunity.

A Wall Street Journal report pointed to health experts who have highlighted studies suggesting that this new variant can evade existing vaccines, antibodies from prior infections along with existing monoclonal antibody treatments.

A study in the journal Nature said, “Such rapid and simultaneous emergence of multiple variants with enormous growth advantages is unprecedented.”

Drug overdose deaths have doubled over the past six years, soaring in recent months amid the COVID-19 pandemic and continued rise of fentanyl.

The country first surpassed 100,000 annual deaths in April, and overdose deaths have persisted at staggeringly high levels since.

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published Wednesday, shows that drug overdose deaths have reached another record high.

An estimated 104,288 people died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending September 2021. In September 2015, the annual death toll was about 52,000.

The pandemic accelerated trends that were already heading in the wrong direction, and experts say that reversing course will require concentrated efforts — and it will take time, both strategically and ideologically.

"If and when COVID restrictions ease, you won't see a reversal in the same way you saw the acceleration because these drug distribution networks and addiction become embedded in the community. And it's not like they turn off overnight," said Katherine Keyes, an associate professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health whose research focuses on psychiatric and substance use epidemiology.

Early in the pandemic, Keyes was part of a research team that modeled the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drug overdoses. They found that even if the pandemic did end overnight, the effects on drug overdoses would persist for at least a year.

There are ways to prevent drug overdose deaths right now, experts say.

Programs like syringe exchanges and heavy distribution of naloxone, an overdose reversal drug, can make an "immediate" difference, said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"Harm reduction can be life saving for individuals, for example, that are not ready to receive medications or treatment but are at a very high risk of dying," she said, and there is clear data that it works.

But these harm reduction strategies have faced controversy. Utilizing them to their full potential will require an ideological shift, a challenge not unlike what the U.S. has faced when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, experts say.

"We have a lot to learn from social scientists. Human behavior is complicated, and addressing ideology and opposition to things is really complicated. It's not as simple as just saying, 'This is what the science shows,'" said Dr. Sarah Wakeman, medical director for the substance use disorder initiative at Mass General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

"We're seeing that right now with harm reduction, where there's this counter narrative that is becoming very polarized."

The latest federal data through September 2021 marks the sixth month in a row that provisional data has held at more than 100,000 deaths annually.

Nationwide, 14,000 more people died of drug overdoses than in the previous year, a 16% increase. Overdose deaths were up in all but three states compared to a year earlier, the provisional CDC data shows. New Hampshire, Hawaii and Delaware each saw year-over-year declines.

In the 12-year period ending September 2021, about two-thirds of overdose deaths nationwide involved synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, which are stronger and faster-acting.

The new federal data shows that overdose deaths from methamphetamine and other psychostimulants also increased significantly, up nearly 36% from the year before. They accounted for about 30% of all overdose deaths in the latest 12-month period, up from about 25% a year earlier.

The link between COVID-19 and the drug epidemic is clear — the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package enacted last year included millions of dollars intended to reduce the harms of drug abuse. But the pandemic may also present broader lessons to carry into the fight against drug overdoses.

"If we invested the sort of attention, resources and political will into addressing the overdose crisis that we have with COVID, I think we would see thousands of lives saved every year. The thing that's different with addressing the overdose crisis that is in many ways easier than thinking about COVID or HIV is that we don't need to wait for scientific breakthroughs," Wakeman said.

"With COVID, it's been incredibly inspiring to see how quickly we can create absolutely seismic changes when there's the acceptance that we're in a state of emergency and that people's lives matter and we have to do things quickly."

Wakeman and others were encouraged to see federal support for harm reduction as one of the four key pillars outlined in the Biden Administration's plan to combat drug overdoses, which was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in October.

Also included were measures aimed at addressing opioid prescription practices and removing barriers to treatments, as well as recovery support.

Volkow says she believes the Biden administration is committed to efforts outlined in the plan, but others are worried that there may be some backtracking amid recent controversy.

"When we're seeing human suffering at this level, now is not the time to moralize about drug use. Now is the time to save lives," Keyes said. "And, you know, we're in a crisis situation. We need to double down and do everything that we can to save every human life because that's how we're going to get out of this epidemic."

There are signs that the conversation is starting to shift in federal policies and public discourse.

"We've seen a shift throughout the opioid epidemic in the way people talk about drug use and drug users as a public health issue and not a criminal justice issue," Keyes said.

"A lot of times it's really about seeing people close to you who have experienced these conditions, or seeing people that you identify with who've experienced these conditions, that really change people's mindsets."

A federal judge overseeing litigation related to the nation's opioid epidemic ruled Tuesday that lawsuits targeting Purdue Pharma and other drug companies can move to trial even as the OxyContin maker tries to reach a settlement.

The ruling was one of several issued by U.S. District Court Judge Dan Polster, who is preparing for a trial scheduled for Oct. 21 over claims from the Ohio counties of Cuyahoga and Summit.

It would be the first federal trial seeking to hold drug companies, distributors and pharmacies accountable for an overdose and addiction crisis that has killed more than 400,000 Americans since 2000. More than 2,000 local governments have sued the industry, with most of the cases gathered in multidistrict litigation under Polster. The first trial is partly intended to answer legal questions that could arise in others that would follow if a settlement can't be reached.

Polster issued six rulings Tuesday denying motions for summary judgment from various groups of defendants, who had hoped to have at least some claims against them tossed out. While it's not a surprise that Polster denied the requests, the decisions strengthen the plaintiffs' positions with the initial trial less than two months away.

He ruled that civil conspiracy claims against the companies that make, distribute and sell opioids can remain in the case. In his opinion, Polster wrote that it's for a jury to decide whether there is enough evidence to show the companies' actions meet the criteria of a conspiracy claim.

Some of the defendants also sought to have claims tossed out because of conflicts between the underlying state and federal laws; Polster denied those, as well.

Polster also made rulings specific to certain defendants or groups of them. He found that claims should not be dropped against Mallinckrodt, Teva and Actavis, three makers of generic drugs.

They argued that there was no proof they had marketed their generic opioids during certain time periods, but plaintiffs in the case responded that the companies had indeed done marketing. They pointed to their sponsorship of patient advocacy groups that called for more access to pain treatment.

The judge also ruled against a group of smaller drug distributors. They had argued that lawsuits against them should be tossed out because their involvement in the opioids industry was too small to make a difference.

In recent weeks, Polster has ruled against several efforts to keep expert witnesses from testifying on behalf of the local governments.

It's not clear just which defendants might be included when the trial begins. Last month, drugmakers Endo and Allergan settled claims with the two Ohio counties, and more settlements could come in the weeks ahead.

Purdue, a company strongly associated with the opioid epidemic through its OxyContin drug, has proposed settlement terms that would have the Stamford, Connecticut-based company file for a structured bankruptcy and pay $10 billion to $12 billion to settle all claims against it. The Sackler family, which owns Purdue, would pay $3 billion under the proposal and contribute an estimated $1.5 billion more from the sale of another company they own, Mundipharma.

Since details of the deal became public last week, some local officials and state attorneys general have pushed back, saying the amount of money offered is too small. Others have said they want people affected by the opioid epidemic to have a chance to address company executives in court.

Last month, a state judge in Oklahoma ruled that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries must pay $572 million in the first state-court verdict on the opioid crisis. Purdue and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries settled with the state before the trial began.

Meanwhile, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has sued to stop the trials involving the Ohio local governments' claims, saying the state's lawsuit should go first.

YADKIN COUNTY, N.C. —

Forty-five middle school students from North Carolina got sick Monday afternoon for an unknown reason.

Sixth graders at Starmount Middle School in Yadkin County began complaining about feeling nauseous with headaches. Some students had thrown up.

Only sixth graders were affected, neither seventh nor eighth-graders reported becoming sick, according to the Yadkin County Schools superintendent.

In response to the mysterious epidemic, the school did a shelter in place to keep unaffected students away from the others that were ill.

"I understand parents were nervous and upset. No messaging went out [from the school] because I can tell you, I saw first hand, administration and front office staff were focused on helping students. That's first priority," Yadkin County Schools Superintendent Todd Martin said.

First responders came to the school to help and check the students out.

Yadkin County Schools and the Yadkin County Health Department are investigating the strange illness that affected the 45 students.

Most of the affected students returned to school the following Tuesday.

There were rumors of a CO2 leak, but Martin said that was ruled out.

Officials are investigating possible food poisoning, but this has not been confirmed as the cause of the sickness.

Parents should hear from the school Monday evening.

This is a developing story, check back for more updates.

The United States is ranked number one in the world for pandemic preparedness, according to the Global Health Security Index. Still, hospitals and medical professionals are in dire need of personal protective gear, ventilators and beds as a looming surge in patients draws near.

Some hospitals are as ready as possible, but it’s unclear if even the best can handle what’s to come.

In the nation’s third largest city, Rush University Medical Center is one hospital tower built to handle disaster.

“That includes infectious disease pandemics, like we're experiencing now. So, not just did we build the tower, but we also routinely drill on these different scenarios,” says Paul Casey, Rush’s chief medical officer.

Constructed after 9/11, Rush’s CEO, Dr. Omar Lateef, says the facility was designed to handle mass casualty incidents, and now, it could be a model for epidemic response.

“Many of the same features of the building make it a building structured to treat highly contagious infections,” says Lateef.

The hospital has the ability to quickly ramp up to 130 percent capacity. Intake and extra beds can be added within minutes and are already on deck.

“We are essentially extending our emergency department into our ground floor pavilion area,” says capital projects construction manager Angela Tosic.

The ambulance bay area has been transformed into a triage area. They are converting spaces into what are known as “negative pressure” units that help to prevent cross-contamination.

“We can take entire quadrants of the building flip switches and make them negative pressure,” explains Lateef. “We can take massive areas of the building that when we built them are nice hallways but secretly inside the columns are oxygen dispensers.”

The incident command center is at the heart of the operation.

“We closely monitor both the activity of coronavirus locally, as well as our testing of coronavirus,” says Casey. “And then, we look at what's the next step that we need to be prepared to take.”

Keeping staff safe and preventing the spread of the virus is a top priority. Employees are being asked to self-monitor and check their temperature at home twice a day.

Once at work, facial recognition scanners not only confirm their identities but also take real-time temperature readings to ensure they do not have fevers.

Should staffer’s exhibit symptoms, a drive through COVID-19 testing area is already up and running.

Patients exhibiting COVID-19-like symptoms enter and are housed in a completely separate unit.

Rush says it will max out its bed capacity as much as possible but has to balance that with not running out of available staff.

“The number we have is when patients stop coming in we'll figure out a way to not turn people away,” says Lateef.