Prevalence of new variant XBB.1.16 continues to grow in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, May 26 (Xinhua) -- New Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 continues to spread rapidly in the United States, according to data updated Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The subvariant, referred to as "arcturus," has become the second dominant strain in the country.

It is estimated to account for about 15.1 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the two weeks ending May 27, up from the nowcast estimates of 8.2 percent in the previous two weeks, and 4 percent in the two weeks from April 16 to 29, according to CDC data.

Experts warned the percentage is expected to increase in the coming weeks, possibly become the next dominant coronavirus strain in the country.

The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain in the United States and accounted for about 53.8 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the two weeks ending May 27, CDC data showed.