Omicron Now Dominant COVID-19 Strain In US at 73% of New Cases: Should India Be Worried Too?

First found in South Africa, this highly virulent strain of COVID-19 has already spread to over 90 countries, dashing hopes that the worst of the pandemic is over.

डेल्टा के मुकाबले तीन गुना ज्यादा संक्रामक है ओमिक्रोन वेरिएंट, केन्द्र सरकार ने जारी किया ये आदेश

Omicron, the fast-spreading COVID-19 variant and current 'variant of concern' is now the dominant strain of coronavirus in the US. According to the latest reports, the infection cases caused by Omicron amounted to 73.2 per cent of all infection cases in the week ending December 18, from 12.6 per cent of all infection cases in the week ending December 11. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers showed nearly a six-fold increase in omicron's share of infections in only one week.

Omicron Sweeps Across America, Now 73% of New US COVID Cases

Covid-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations continued to surge in the United States, leading to cancellation of large events including sports games and live concerts. Some colleges have shifted back to online classes and exams for the rest of the semester to make students go back home earlier. The country is averaging about 130,000 new cases daily, a 10 per cent increase from the previous week, the latest CDC data showed.

The US Reports First Omicron Death

With rising cases associated with the highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the US, the country on Monday reported its first death due to this new variant. While announcing the news, the Harris County health department said that the man was unvaccinated. It is believed to be the first known recorded Omicron death in the United States. According to experts, the severity of the infection increases when the infected individual is not vaccinated against the virus.

Everyone Will Have a Date With Omicron

The unprecedented infectiousness of the Omicron variant and its possible ability to evade the immune system have stoked concerns across the nation. However, experts said preliminary data suggest the new variant appears to cause less severe symptoms and hospitalisations. Cautioning people about the massive spread of this new variant, experts stated that everyone will now get infected with this variant, especially those who didn't get their jabs.

"All of us have a date with omicron," said Dr Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "If you're going to interact with society, if you're going to have any type of life, omicron will be something you encounter, and the best way you can encounter this is to be fully vaccinated."

First found in South Africa, this highly virulent strain of COVID-19 has already spread to over 90 countries, dashing hopes that the worst of the pandemic is over. Early data suggests this new variant of COVID-19 Omicron could be more transmissible than all the previous strains of the virus and possibly have higher resistance to vaccines due to the 30 worrisome mutations in its spike protein.

(With inputs from agencies)