Omicron Subvariant BA.2 Is Now The Dominant Strain Of COVID-19 In The U.S.

Based on the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Omicron subvariant BA.2 has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States, making up 54.9% of new cases.

Most of the cases of the BA.2 variant are in the Northeast, where it accounts for more than 70% of new cases. In South and Mountain West, the variant makes up roughly one-third of new COVID cases.

While health experts do not expect the BA.2 variant to cause another surge in infections, the seven-day moving average of COVID cases was up by 4% from the previous week. The BA.2 variant is more transmissible than the Omicron variant but does not appear to be causing more severe cases of the viral infection.

"This small increase in cases in the Northeast is something that we are closely watching as we look for any indication of an increase in severe disease from COVID-19 and track whether it represents any strain on our hospitals," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a press briefing last week. "We have not yet seen this so far."