Omicron subvariant gaining traction in US: CDC data
Cases of BA.212.1 have spread in New York
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that a new omicron subvariant is quickly spreading in the U.S.
According to the agency's variant monitor, BA.2.12.1 now accounts for 19% of cases.
NEW OMICRON SUBVARIANT NOW APPROXIMATELY 20% OF US INFECTIONS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BA.2 makes up 74.4%, which has been the country's dominant variant since last month.
While COVID-19 cases have fallen markedly since the winter's initial omicron surge, BA.2 has picked up across the eastern states.
A man wearing a protective face mask walks by a street corner near a subway station in the Queens, New York City, April 18, 2022. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)
In New York, health officials reported that BA.212 and BA.2.12.1 were potentially contributing to increased transmission in several regions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The New York State Department of Health today announced the emergence of two omicron sub-variants in New York State, BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1. Both variants are sub-lineages of BA.2, which now accounts for 80.6% of COVID-19 infections in New York. The sub-variants have been estimated to have a 23% – 27% growth advantage above the original BA.2 variant," the Department of Health wrote last week.
"We are alerting the public to two omicron sub-variants, newly emerged and rapidly spreading in upstate New York, so New Yorkers can act swiftly," said State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. "While these sub-variants are new, the tools to combat them are not. These tools will work if we each use them: get fully vaccinated and boosted, test following exposure, symptoms, or travel, consider wearing a mask in public indoor spaces and consult with your healthcare provider about treatment if you test positive."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For the month of March, the department said BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1 rose to collectively comprise more than 70% prevalence in central New York and more than 20% prevalence in the neighboring Finger Lakes region.
In April, data indicates that levels in central New York are now above 90%.
The department noted that its findings are the first reported instances of significant community spread due to the new subvariants in the U.S.
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There is currently no evidence suggesting BA.2.12.1 causes more severe disease.
Two other omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, have begun to spread at low levels across the globe.