USA: Omikron has become the dominant strain of the coronavirus, representing 73 percent of new infections

Omicron has become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the US, accounting for 73 percent of new infections last week, US health officials said.

The American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated last night that these data show an increase in the share of omicrons by almost six times in the total number of cases of infection in just one week.

In most of the US, that share is even much higher. Omikron is responsible for about 90 percent of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the industrial Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest.

The national omicron infection rate means that more than 650.000 people were infected with the strain of the virus in the US last week.

Since the end of June, the delta strain has been dominant among coronavirus infections in the US.

Thus, at the end of November, more than 99,5 percent of coronavirus cases were the delta strain, according to the CDC.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said these omicron data show a similar rate of spread to other countries.

"These numbers are large but not surprising," Valenski said.

Omicron was first reported by scientists in southern Africa less than a month ago, and the World Health Organization labeled it a "strain of concern" on November 26.

That variant of the virus has now appeared in about 90 countries.

The first studies indicate that people vaccinated against the coronavirus will need an additional booster dose to prevent omicron infection, but that even without that dose, the vaccination should provide strong protection.