From 3% to 73%, O’Micron becomes major US strain in a week

The highly mutated coronavirus strain has been detected nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a model that updates weekly. The delta variant, which was the dominant form of the virus in the US last week, has now turned up in about 27% of sequenced cases.

The significant increase in the overall prevalence of Omicron underscores fears that the rapidly spreading variant could trigger a wave of infections that would overwhelm the US health care system. While there is evidence that Omicron does not cause more severe disease than Delta, a large jump in infection levels can still overwhelm hospitals with ill patients.

The CDC said a surge in Omicron was expected and is similar to a pattern seen around the world. In some parts of the US, Omicron is responsible for nearly all new infections. The variant made up an estimated 92% of cases in New York and New Jersey, the CDC estimate showed, and 96% in Washington state.

The US is urging people who are eligible to get vaccinated and looking for booster shots to clear up micron. On Monday, Moderna Inc. said that a third dose of their vaccine increased antibody levels against the variant, and Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE said that laboratory studies show that a third dose of their vaccine also increased the level of antibodies against the variant. Helps to neutralize

The CDC said other prevention measures such as wearing masks indoors and testing at home can also help prevent transmission of the virus.

Meanwhile the proliferation of Omicron has forced many businesses to rethink plans for its return to office, as well as events such as investor meetings. Last week, JPMorgan Chase & Co chose to move its annual health care conference online to next month, and on Monday the World Economic Forum said the meeting in Davos, Switzerland, next month had been postponed.