The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that the Omicron variant accounted for 58.6 percent of the coronavirus variants spread in the US as of December 25.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised the omicron ratio of cases for the week ending December 18. (Image for representation: Reuters)
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus variant circulating in the United States was estimated to be 58.6 percent as of December 25.
The agency lowered the Omicron ratio of cases to 73 percent for the week ended December 18, citing additional data and the rapid spread of the variant causing the discrepancy.
“We had more data from that time frame and Omicron had a lower ratio,” a CDC spokesperson said. “It’s important to note that we are still seeing a steady increase in the ratio of omicrons.”
The rapidly spreading variant was first detected in November in southern Africa and Hong Kong, with the first known case in the United States being identified on December 1 in a fully vaccinated person who had traveled to South Africa.
Since then, tensions have spread rapidly around the world and US infections have surged, leading to widespread flight cancellations and intensifying hopes for a more normal holiday season.
The delta variant, which had been the dominant strain over the past few months, accounts for 41.1 percent of all US COVID-19 cases as of December 25, according to data from the Public Health Agency.
Former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb said on Twitter that if the CDC’s new estimate of omicron prevalence was accurate, it suggests that a good portion of current hospitalizations may still be driven by Delta infections.
The agency said the data includes model projections that may differ from weighted estimates generated at later dates.
Click here for IndiaToday.in’s Full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.