Cases of a highly transmissible BA.2 Omicron subvariant are doubling in the United States every week, suggest the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The variant was accountable for 8.3% of the COVID-19 cases in the country in the week ending February 26, as per CDC estimates quoted by the Xinhua news agency. This has increased from 4.4% in the previous week, and from 2% recorded two weeks prior.

Health experts are concerned that the relaxation of COVID-19 control measures, such as wearing masks and vaccination mandates, in most parts of the country may cause a surge in cases and hospitalizations. It might also allow the subvariant an added advantage as it spreads across the country… (ET Healthworld – IANS, March 5, 2022)