Rachel Silberstein is reporting for the Times Union a new, highly contagious COVID-19 strain is circulating in New York, resulting in an increase in hospitalizations. The XBB.1.5 variant now constitutes more than 50 percent of COVID-19 cases statewide, the state Department of Health announced last week, citing sequencing data from the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data. The department is urging state residents to consider masking and to get the latest COVID-19 booster. "Since it emerged, the COVID-19 virus continues to change," Acting State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement. "The new bivalent booster has been updated to address these changes, which is why it is so important that all New Yorkers 6 months and older get the important protection it offers." Experts believe the new omicron subvariant, which is nicknamed "Kraken" after the mythical sea creature, is significantly more transmissible than previous versions of the coronavirus. The state's hospitalization database shows a jump in COVID-19 admissions statewide, with the total number of New Yorkers hospitalized with the disease hovering around 4,000 since New Year's Day. In the Capital Region, the rate of hospitalization has risen from about 10 patients per population of 100,000 in early December to nearly 18 hospitalizations per 100,000 people on January 9. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's community COVID levels map shows high transmission rates in Albany and Rensselaer counties. Columbia and Greene counties have medium COVID-19 levels, while the rest of the Capital Region's community COVID level is low, according to the CDC. According to virologists, XBB.1.5 has an increased number of mutations that enable the virus to better bind to cells. While it may not prevent infection, the booster provides significant protection against getting very sick or being hospitalized. People are advised to wear a high-quality mask in public indoor spaces, when feeling unwell, in crowded places, or around individuals at increased risk of getting very sick, health officials said. Information is available at coronavirus [dot] health [dot] ny [dot] gov. Read more in the Times Union.