If the last two winters are any indication, North America and Europe will likely experience a surge in COVID infections by the end of this year, driven by cold weather, students in close quarters in classrooms and holiday travel. Public health officials are closely watching the situation by monitoring wastewater, sequencing the genetics of the virus and tracing positive cases.
But an increasing number of experts are worried that this wave could be markedly different from years previous. The emergence of multiple variants with the ability to evade immunity could surge simultaneously, which is something we haven't seen previously.
