PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) — With the holidays right around the corner, there is some growing concern and more questions over a looming new Covid-19 variant. It’s called the “delta plus” or AY.4.2 variant, and cases have already been reported in more than 10 states. None have occurred in Pennsylvania; however, doctors are monitoring the situation. “Viruses constantly change. That’s why we have to get flu vaccines every year and the more people are vaccinated, the less chance that a variant or changed virus will actually cause any major disease,” said Dr. Jennifer Preiss, primary care physician with Allegheny Health Network. Preiss says there is no need to panic at this point. She says roughly 10% of the new variant cases are in Great Britain and that the information on the variant and how quickly it may spread are still new, and research is ongoing. CNBC reports the delta plus variant can spread 12-18% more efficiently than the original delta variant. Distinguishing it from the flu can be a bit challenging, so testing and masking are more important than ever before.