BA.5 subvariant makes up over 80 pct new infections in U.S.
Jul 30, 2022
Los Angeles [US], July 30: The BA.5 Omicron subvariant, now the dominant coronavirus strain in the United States, accounted for over 80 percent of new COVID-19 infections in the country, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The BA.5 subvariant accounted for 81.9 percent of new infections in the latest week ending July 23. Another new subvariant, BA.4, accounted for 12.9 percent of new infections, CDC data showed.
The two contagious subvariants now make up over 90 percent of new infections in the United States.
Confirmed cases contracted by the two subvariants have kept increasing since mid-May, CDC data showed.
BA.5 has been driving a surge of new infections in the United States and globally. It appears to be more contagious and better at evading protection from vaccines and previous infections than most of its predecessors, study showed.
U.S. health officials are urging people aged 50 or older to get a booster shot to better protect against severe diseases from COVID-19.
Source: Xinhua
