On Tuesday, the U.S. nationwide blood survey release stated that overall 58 percent of the U.S. population and more than 75 percent of younger children have been infected with the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

Omicron caused the highest rates of infection among children and adolescents, many of whom remain unvaccinated, while people 65 years and older who were mostly vaccinated had the lowest rates of infection. 75.2% of children aged 11 and 74.2% of adolescents aged -17 had infection-related antibodies in their blood.

The omicron subvariant BA.2.121 currently accounts for about 30% of all cases in the United States and seems to be 25% more transmissible than the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron. A rise of 22.7% in the past week was observed in new infections. Hospitalizations rose by 6.6%. Despite a 13.2 percent drop in deaths week over week, the US is rapidly reaching the dismal milestone of 1 million overall COVID-related deaths.  

As per the federal data, more than 66 percent of the US population is completely vaccinated against COVID-19, with nearly 46 percent receiving a booster. The CDC now recommends wearing a mask in public indoor settings in select counties with high COVID-19 community spread and emphasizes that immunization remains the safest option for preventing COVID-19 sequelae. (Reuters, April 27, 2022)