CDC says COVID-19 variant Omicron is already dominant in the US
The SARS-COV-2 virus has mutated over the past few years, with some mutations fading quite fast and the other leads to the resurrection of the new “variant of concern”. The CDC monitors this variant through genome sequencing and regularly updates data where strains circulating in the US. The health agency updates the tracker with the latest data this week, revealing the omicron variant is now responsible for more Covid-19 cases than Delta.
Omicron overtakes Delta in the US
Public health officials have warned for a year now because as many people may need to be vaccinated against SARS-COV-2 as soon as possible to prevent potentially burdensome mutations. This number of mutations has emerged throughout the pandemic, some are relatively isolated and short-lived, others extend and concern. Delta has long been a dominant variant in the US, triggering a wave of cases because of the higher transmission level compared to the original version of the virus.
While the Delta variant (also called B.1.617.2) was first identified in India, a much newer Omicron variant (B1.1.529) was first seen in South Africa. At this time, who and the CDC state that Omicron may have a higher level of transmission than Delta, which means it can spread easier and, as a result, causes a wave of new infections. Because certain mutations found in this variant, public health institutions also hope that Omicron can cause a breakthrough infection in people who have been vaccinated, even though the vaccine currently still offers protection against severe results such as hospitalization and death.
On Monday, the US centered on disease control and prevention of updating the Covid-19 variant tracker with the latest data on December 18. The renewal revealed the majority of new Covid-19 infections in the US are now the result of the Omicron variant. from Delta, the last is the dominant for months.
The graph showed very few cases of omicron in the US on December 4 at only 0.7 percent, followed by a large leap to 12.6 percent on December 11. The percentage has skyrocketed in just a week, hitting around 73 percent of cases by December 18. Data is possible, in part, with the supervision of the CDC genome against the virus, which tests covid-19 samples; The data produced is used with the present model to estimate how many cases in the US are caused by each variant. The current estimate, a record of agency, helps the state and federal government officials quickly implement new public health measures if necessary.
What we know so far
Unfortunately, there are still many things we don’t know about the Omicron variant, which is only labeled a variant of the world’s health organization at the end of November. Mutations found in samples from South Africa and Botswana just a few days before appointment; The first Omicron case in the US was identified on December 1, just a few days after the government made its own variant of its designation (via CDC).
Public health institutions and pharmaceutical companies have quickly analyzed variants, found mutations that raise some concerns over high potential transmission levels and a decrease in the efficacy of vaccines. The variant appears right around the same time as US booster shots are available for adults, and, fortunately, the initial data shows this booster dose helps protect from Omicron.