U.S. daily COVID-19 cases hit highest level in two months: Daily Mail

LONDON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- America's daily COVID-19 cases have now hit their highest level in two months with the even more transmissible sub-variant of Omicron now responsible for two in five cases, the Daily Mail said in a recent report.

Figures from states, counties and local health officials showed a total of 95,854 new infections were recorded in one day, the British paper reported on May 3.

This was the biggest daily count since late February at the tail-end of the Omicron wave, and marked a 60 percent uptick from two weeks ago.

According to surveillance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed on May 3, the new Omicron subvariant -- scientifically named BA.2.12.1 -- is now behind up to 44 percent of new infections. Two weeks ago it was only behind about 22 percent, the newspaper said.

Dr. Deborah Birx, who headed up the country's COVID-19 response under then-President Donald Trump, has warned southern states should prepare for an uptick in COVID-19 infections in the next few months because of "waning immunity," while the north should also expect a surge this winter.

She pointed to South Africa, where Omicron first emerged, which is again recording a major surge in COVID-19 cases just four to six months after the last wave amid falling antibody levels.