Omicron Subvariant 'BA.2' More Contagious
US Sees Rebound in New Cases After Decline
On the 18th, citizens lined up to get tested at the temporary COVID-19 screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] It is reported that the Omicron subvariant is rapidly spreading in the United States.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 19th (local time), New York City health authorities announced the day before that about 30% of new confirmed cases were infected with the Omicron subvariant 'BA.2'. BA.2 is known to be more contagious than Omicron.
Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the new health commissioner of New York City, said at a press conference, "We are closely monitoring whether New York is on the verge of following the COVID-19 outbreaks occurring in some European and Asian countries." However, Commissioner Vasan explained that community transmission remains low, so there is no immediate cause for concern.
The number of new confirmed cases in the United States is showing signs of resurgence. Although the number of cases recently dropped sharply, leading to evaluations that the pandemic peak had passed, the 7-day average daily confirmed cases in New York City as of the 17th is 905. This is a 35% increase compared to two weeks ago when it was less than 700.
Nationwide in the U.S., the BA.2 variant is also on the rise. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the proportion of new confirmed cases infected with the BA.2 variant was only 0.4% as of January 22, but increased to 13.7% on March 5 and 23.1% on March 12, showing a gradual upward trend.
Additionally, an increase in confirmed cases is predicted in New Jersey, neighboring New York. New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy said, "Following the global increase in confirmed cases, we expect the number of cases to rise in New Jersey as well."
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