Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounts for nearly 90 pct new COVID-19 cases in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 now accounts for nearly 90 percent of all COVID-19 cases reported in the United States, according to the latest estimates released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The prevalence of XBB.1.5 has kept increasing since late last year, and it is estimated to account for 89.2 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the country this week, up from 85.4 percent last week and 79.7 percent two weeks prior.

The second most prevalent strain BQ.1.1 accounts for 6.7 percent.

The CDC first started tracking XBB.1.5 in November last year, when it accounted for less than 1 percent of cases nationwide. Since then, the strain is spreading quickly in the United States.

Early study suggests XBB.1.5 has a couple of concerning mutations that suggest it is even more contagious than other strains, possibly the most transmissible one so far.

While XBB.1.5 is spreading easier, scientists said it does not seem to cause more severe disease.