Omicron Covid Variant: Across the US, hospitals are getting busy, testing centers are seeing long lines of people.
Washington:
The fast-spreading Omicron variants are now the main coronavirus strain in the United States, accounting for 73.2% of new cases in the past week for which data is available, the health agency said Monday.
The spike, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is based on data for the week ending Saturday. During last week’s period, Omicron accounted for only 12.6% of US cases.
Omicron has generated more than 90% of new US cases in the Pacific Northwest and much of the southern US and parts of the Midwest, the CDC pointed out.
The news comes ahead of US President Joe Biden’s speech on Covid on Tuesday. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said he had no plans to “shut down the country” in response to the surge.
“This is an outline and direct and clear speech to the American people about the benefits of vaccination, the steps we will take to increase access and increase testing.”
Top US pandemic adviser Anthony Fauci warned on Sunday of a bleak winter ahead as the coronavirus variant Omicron triggers a new wave of infections globally.
“With Omicron,” Fauci told NBC News, “it will be a few weeks to months as we move deeper into winter.”
While there are indications that Omicron is no more severe than the Delta variant still predominates, early data suggests it may be more infectious and may be more resistant to vaccines.
Since it was first reported in South Africa in November, Omicron has been identified in dozens of countries, hoping that the worst of the pandemic is over.
Across the United States, hospitals are getting busy, testing centers are lining up, and sports and entertainment events are being cancelled.
Controlling the virus has proven difficult in a country where vaccinations and mask-wearing have become divisive political issues and federal mandates end in protracted legal battles.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the feed provided.)
