The more transmissible strain of Omicron, BA.2, is now the dominant Covid variant in the United States. In just the last week, it has risen from 35% of all new cases genetically sequenced to 55%, per CDC data. That’s a remarkable 80% jump in just seven days.
In the swath of the Northeast that includes Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine and has a population of about 55 million people, BA.2 now accounts for more than 70% of all new cases. That’s up from just over 50% the week before and 38% the week before that.