LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) – Healthcare professionals in La Crosse say hospitalizations could rise due to a new COVID-19 variant. People hear the word “mutation” and Hollywood movies may come to mind. However, this reality does not include the end of the world. The new virus strain first discovered in the UK is something health experts expected. “We expect them to accumulate mutations or gain mutations along the way,” Megan Meller said, an infection preventionist with Gundersen Health System. Meller said this new B-117 strain caught the eye of health care professionals for a few reasons. “It accumulated a significant number of mutations in a very short amount of time,” she said.