Omicron subvariant makes up nearly three quarters of new COVID-19 infections in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, April 6 (Xinhua) -- The BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant has accounted for nearly three quarters of new COVID-19 infections in the United States, according to latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The BA.2 variant represented 72.2 percent of new COVID-19 cases for the week ending April 2, according to CDC data.

This data is up from 57.3 percent a week prior, and 42.4 percent two weeks before.

The variant has been steadily rising in proportion due to its increased transmissibility compared to the original Omicron strain. It has already become the dominant strain in the United States.

The BA.2 subvariant is thought to be about 30 percent more transmissible than the original BA.1 Omicron strain, early study suggested.