Omicron new subvariant accounts for 43% new Covid-19 infections in US

Omicron new subvariant XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 43 per cent of the Covid-19 cases in the US for the week ending January 14, according to data released Friday by the US CDC

Omicron new subvariant XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 43 per cent of the Covid-19 cases in the US for the week ending January 14, according to data released Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The subvariant XBB.1.5 is spreading quickly in the US. It made up 30.4 per cent of the total cases in the week ending January 7, rising from 20.1 per cent from a week before and 11.8 per cent from two weeks prior, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the CDC.

XBB.1.5 is currently the most transmissible variant in the country. The World Health Organization said earlier this week XBB.1.5 may spur more Covid-19 cases based on genetic characteristics and early growth rate estimates.

Another two dominant Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 accounted for about 45 per cent of new Covid-19 cases in the US in the latest week, CDC data showed.

--IANS

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