Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 prevalence jumps to 75 pct in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 now accounts for about three-fourths of all COVID-19 cases reported in the United States this week, according to the estimates released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 74.7 percent of U.S. COVID-19 cases, up from 65.9 percent the week prior. BQ.1.1 remains the second most prevalent strain at 15.3 percent.

The CDC started tracking XBB.1.5 separately from its parent strain XBB from the week of Nov. 12 last year, when it accounted for only 0.1 percent of cases nationwide. Since then, XBB.1.5 has been spreading quickly in the United States.

XBB.1.5 is currently the most transmissible variant in the country. The subvariant may spur more COVID-19 cases based on genetic characteristics and early growth rate estimates, according to the World Health Organization.