NEW COVID VARIANT BA.2.86 DETECTED THAT SURPASSES THE XBB STRAINS IN VIRULENCE. W.H.O HAS DESIGNATED IT AS A 'VARIANT UNDER MONITORING'. Could testing and masks return? (update 1)

Chart above:  U.S. Covid Hospitalizations are been driven by three new COVID strains  EG.5, FL.1.5.1 and BA.2.86

From the Risk Assessment Summary CDC: 

"Immune Impacts: The large number of mutations in this variant raises concerns of greater escape from existing immunity from vaccines and previous infections compared with other recent variants. For example, one analysis of mutations suggests the difference may be as large as or greater than that between BA.2 and XBB.1.5, which circulated nearly a year apart. However, virus samples are not yet broadly available for more reliable laboratory testing of antibodies, and it is too soon to know the real-world impacts on immunity. Nearly all the U.S. population has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from vaccination, previous infection, or both, and it is likely that these antibodies will continue to provide some protection against severe disease from this variant. This is an area of ongoing scientific investigation."