Just when life seemed to be getting back to normal — masks coming off, workers returning to the office, theaters reopening — along comes another variant of the Coronavirus.

To be precise, a subvariant of Omicron called BA.2 has been driving case numbers up in Europe. It already makes up more than half of the samples tested in New England.

So far, experts seem more cautious than alarmed by this latest strain, which is more contagious than the original Omicron but not more lethal. But some are predicting a spike in cases that could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths.

In a meeting with The Day editorial board this week, Gov. Ned Lamont said the state is well positioned to cope with an uptick in cases, but noted that many people are tired of mask measures.

Connecticut cases are relatively low. New London County is recording an average of 25 cases a day, down from a peak daily average of more than 700 in January.

Whether that trend remains is largely up to us. Vigilance now could put down this surge before it starts. Apathy, on the other hand, could bring us back to the dark days of the Omicron and Delta waves of fall and winter.

The pattern by now is familiar: a peak in Covid cases leads to tighter rules on masking and social distancing. Gradually infections wane, officials loosen the rules, and soon another variant shows up.

In some ways, we are in a better position to confront BA.2. The Biden administration has distributed more than 270 million test kits to the public. Monoclonal antibody treatments have been developed to fight the virus.

So far, 217 million people have been fully vaccinated, and 96 million have had a booster shot.

But there is room for improvement. The U.S. lags behind other countries in its vaccination rate — 65 percent of the population. Dozens of countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia and France, have higher rates. It's never too late to get vaccinated or to get a booster.

Continued manufacture of test kits also is up in the air. Supply of antibody treatments is low.

Meanwhile, funding to mitigate the effects of the virus is ebbing. The government's subsidy of uninsured Covid patients is coming to an end. The administration is running out of money to buy antivirals, test kits and new therapies for the immuno-compromised.

A $15.6 billion bill to continue funding these efforts appears dead in Congress, and there is little appetite for further investments to fight this or future variants.

Nor is there much appetite to return to mask mandates. It will be up to individuals to assess their risk.

Consider, however, that a brief period of social distancing and mask-wearing could make a difference between a scourge of cases straining hospitals, and a late spring and summer of relative normality.

Absent a concerted effort now, we can look forward to some difficult months ahead. No one wants to return to the days of packed ICUs and deserted theaters, of long days of masking at work and school.

But if we want a carefree summer of healthy social gatherings, we need to take steps now to stop BA.2 Otherwise we have only ourselves to blame when the coronavirus ruins yet another season of our lives.