Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/cor...-rapidly-becoming-predominant-strain/3449249/
CDC: NY, NJ Detecting Omicron at 4x the US Rate; Variant Rapidly Becoming Predominant Strain
New York's overall COVID cases per 100,000 is up 58% from Thanksgiving, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday as she declared the "holiday surge" underway. A week ago, that number was 43%
By Jennifer Millman • Published 2 hours ago • Updated 32 mins ago
What to Know
New York and New Jersey are detecting the omicron variant at a much higher rate (13%) than the U.S. average (3%), the CDC says; the vast majority of new cases are delta, but that may soon change
While the severe cases are linked to the delta variant, omicron is believed to be fueling a nationwide increase in infections and appears to be more evasive when it comes to existing vaccines
NY is among a growing list of states adopting strict measures to curb omicron's spread -- and the ongoing threat posed by delta -- as it faces its worst across-the-board COVID surge in more than half a year
The highly infectious omicron variant is rapidly increasing prevalence across the U.S. but even more so in New York and New Jersey, where genomic sequencing is detecting it at a rate of about 13% versus 3% nationally, the head of the CDC says.
Delta, which early evidence indicates appears to lead to more severe cases than the new variant that first emerged in South Africa, remains America's predominant strain (96.7% of all sequenced positive COVID samples) and is fueling the nationwide hospitalization spike, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on "Today" Tuesday.
But omicron could overtake delta before long, just as the latter overwhelmed alpha this past spring, Walensky said. It already accounts for 3% of all U.S. cases tested.
The good news, Walensky says, is that early data shows omicron "is demonstrating some decreased severity, shorter lengths of stay, fewer people on oxygen, fewer people in the ICU." Even better, "We have the tools now," the head of the CDC said...
CDC: NY, NJ Detecting Omicron at 4x the US Rate; Variant Rapidly Becoming Predominant Strain
New York's overall COVID cases per 100,000 is up 58% from Thanksgiving, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday as she declared the "holiday surge" underway. A week ago, that number was 43%
By Jennifer Millman • Published 2 hours ago • Updated 32 mins ago
What to Know
New York and New Jersey are detecting the omicron variant at a much higher rate (13%) than the U.S. average (3%), the CDC says; the vast majority of new cases are delta, but that may soon change
While the severe cases are linked to the delta variant, omicron is believed to be fueling a nationwide increase in infections and appears to be more evasive when it comes to existing vaccines
NY is among a growing list of states adopting strict measures to curb omicron's spread -- and the ongoing threat posed by delta -- as it faces its worst across-the-board COVID surge in more than half a year
The highly infectious omicron variant is rapidly increasing prevalence across the U.S. but even more so in New York and New Jersey, where genomic sequencing is detecting it at a rate of about 13% versus 3% nationally, the head of the CDC says.
Delta, which early evidence indicates appears to lead to more severe cases than the new variant that first emerged in South Africa, remains America's predominant strain (96.7% of all sequenced positive COVID samples) and is fueling the nationwide hospitalization spike, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on "Today" Tuesday.
But omicron could overtake delta before long, just as the latter overwhelmed alpha this past spring, Walensky said. It already accounts for 3% of all U.S. cases tested.
The good news, Walensky says, is that early data shows omicron "is demonstrating some decreased severity, shorter lengths of stay, fewer people on oxygen, fewer people in the ICU." Even better, "We have the tools now," the head of the CDC said...
