More than one-third of cases of coronavirus infection in the United States last week were due to a derivative of the Omicron mutant, “BA.2.” Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed.
According to CDC estimates, the majority of infected cases are currently due to “BA.2” in the northeastern United States. Cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome continue to decline at the US level, but New York City has seen an increase of about 33% in the week leading up to the 19th, according to another CDC tally.
A study in Denmark, which experienced a surge in infections due to “BA.2”, found that the derivative was more infectious than the first Omicron strain.
Original title:Omicron Subvariant Takes Hold in U.S. as New York Cases Tick Up(excerpt)