Washington, Dec 21 (FN Agency) Omicron has become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the United States, accounting for over 73 percent of new weekly cases, according to the latest model estimates of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday. The infection cases caused by the Omicron variant jumped from 12.6 percent of all infection cases in the week ending Dec. 11 to 73.2 percent in the week ending Dec. 18, CDC data showed. In the week ending Dec. 4, Omicron only accounted for 0.7 percent of all infection cases. The Omicron variant is spreading rapidly nationwide and has been found in at least 48 U.S. states as of Monday, since the first case in the country was detected in California on Dec. 1.
A man living in Texas is believed to be the first victim to died from Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the US, the media reported on Monday. “A man in his 50s from the eastern portion of Harris County who was not vaccinated (has died),” Judge Lina Hidalgo tweeted. The victim had an underlying health condition, she added. Reports from ABC News and Fox News said this is believed to be the first recorded Omicron-related death in the US. Omicron accounts for 73.2 percent of new cases across the country in the week that ended on Dec 18, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.