The Omicron variant now makes up 95% of recent COVID-19 cases in the US, according to the CDC

A health staff member prepares a COVID-19 test at the Histopath Diagnostic Specialists pre-departure area at Sydney International Airport on November 28, 2021.

James D. Morgan/Getty Images

• The Omicron variant is now estimated to make up a staggering 95% of recent COVID-19 cases.
• Recent CDC data projects that 95.4% of COVID-19 cases as of January 1 are fueled by the variant.
• Omicron's current estimated dominance is up from 77% on December 25.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant is now estimated to make up a staggering 95% of recent COVID-19 cases in the US, according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The CDC projects that 95.4% of COVID-19 cases as of January 1 are fueled by the Omicron variant, compared to just 4.6% of Delta variant cases.

Omicron's current estimated dominance is up from 77% on December 25, according to the CDC's estimates.  

The US on Monday recorded over 1 million COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data — obliterating the previous record for new cases in a day.

Cases across the country are surging and hospitals in several states are in danger of being overwhelmed. 

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3t2ykzT