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Omicron subvariant XBB 1.5 prevalence jumps to 75 pct in US

11 Feb 2023 01:48pm
Picture for illustrative purposes
Picture for illustrative purposes
LOS ANGELES -The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 now accounts for about three-fourths of all COVID-19 cases reported in the United States this week, according to the estimates released Friday by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 74.7 per cent of US COVID-19 cases, up from 65.9 per cent the week prior. BQ.1.1 remains the second most prevalent strain at 15.3 per cent, reported Xinhua.

The CDC started tracking XBB.1.5 separately from its parent strain XBB from the week of Nov 12 last year, when it accounted for only 0.1 per cent of cases nationwide. Since then, XBB.1.5 has been spreading quickly in the United States.

XBB.1.5 is currently the most transmissible variant in the country. The subvariant may spur more COVID-19 cases based on genetic characteristics and early growth rate estimates, according to the World Health Organisation - BERNAMA

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