CDC: New Omicron Variant Is Spreading Quickly In US

NBC News reports:

A new version of omicron has taken hold in the U.S., according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The subvariant of omicron, named XBB.1.5, has raised concerns about another potential wave of Covid cases following the busy holiday travel season.

The CDC projected Friday that about 40% of confirmed U.S. Covid cases are caused by the XBB.1.5 strain, up from 20% a week ago. In the Northeast, about 75% of confirmed cases are reported to be XBB.1.5.

The seven-day average of daily Covid hospitalizations reached 42,140 on Friday, an increase of 4.2% from two weeks previously, according to an NBC News tally.

Read the full article. So far it doesn’t appear that the new variant is more deadly than the others.

The subvariant of omicron, named XBB.1.5, has raised concerns about another potential wave of Covid cases following the holiday travel season. https://t.co/8cLmP3IgP5

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 31, 2022