According to the search results, there are several COVID-19 variants currently circulating. The dominant variant in the United States as of October 30, 2023, is HV.1, followed by EG.5 and FL.1.5.1. EG.5 is a highly mutated sublineage of the Omicron variant that has been spreading faster than any other currently circulating strain and was responsible for 29.4% of cases of COVID in the United States at the end of September. While EG.5 has been spreading rapidly, experts say it does not pose a substantial threat compared to other major variants currently circulating. Another variant that scientists are watching closely is BA.2.86, which has been definitively tied to a few dozen cases of COVID across four continents, but experts suspect it is more widespread. However, there is no evidence that the symptoms caused by these new variants are dramatically different from those caused by earlier variants.