The omicron variant is now considered the most dominant version of coronavirus – accounting for 73% of new COVID-19 infections last week in the US, wreaking havoc in Europe as well, according to new data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new estimates include cases for the week ending December 18. One week earlier, on December 11, it was detected in only 12.6% of the positive COVID-19 cases that were sampled. The CDC said it was working to revise some of the previous figures after officials finished analyzing several samples of the strain.
Omicron becomes the dominant variant of covid-19
Omicron is even more prevalent in parts of the United States, including the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes, the southeast, a group of states centered on Texas, and New England, where more than 90% of the evidence is found. .
Since the end of June, the Delta variant of COVID-19 has been the main strain of the virus that has caused most infections in the US, with over 99% of new cases of coronavirus being delta in recent months.
Many things about the omicron variant, scientists say, are still uncertain – including whether the new variant causes more or less serious diseases.
“We all have an omicron meeting,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health, told The Associated Press. “If you interact with society, if you have any kind of life, the omicron will be something you will encounter, and the best way you can meet this is to be completely vaccinated.”
As the omicron grows, nations announce rules on gatherings and pre-holiday travel
Omicron has already launched a wave of new infections in the United States and around the world, and health officials have warned of its extraordinary transmissibility. Early data suggest that while omicron may elude immune protection and booster vaccines more easily than previous strains, those infected may be less prone to serious illness and hospitalization.
However, “even if it has a slightly lower risk of severity, we could have a million cases a day if we don’t really pay attention to all these mitigation strategies,” said Francis Institute, director of National Institutes of Health. Collins, for NPR this weekend.
The administration of booster vaccines seems to continue to provide substantial protection against serious illness and death from omicron, according to health officials.
When the booster dose becomes mandatory
The booster dose becomes mandatory to travel. The European Commission has decided to limit the validity of the green certificate for intra-European travel after vaccination against COVID-19 with a full two-dose schedule to nine months.
Through this measure, the EC wants to encourage third dose vaccination, citing the arguments of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control that booster doses are recommended within a maximum of six months of the full schedule.
The measure is due to apply from 1 February and covers travel between European countries, but the Commission recommends that Member States also adopt it at national level “to provide certainty to passengers and reduce disruption”.
