YANKTON, S.D.(WNAX)- Health care providers are trying to get a sense of the potential threat from the latest variant of Covid-19.

Liz Healy, infection control specialist at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, says Omicron is quite different than the last major variant.

Healy says there is still a lot they don’t know.

Healy says testing is quite effective in picking up Covid infections.

Healy says people need to continue protecting themselves including wearing masks when appropriate, social distancing and frequent hand washing. She says vaccinations are still critically important in slowing the spread of Covid-19 and its variants.