Here's what we know about the BA.2 Omicron subvariant driving a new COVID-19 wave
BA.2 infections aren’t as mild as once thought and even newer versions of Omicron are circulating and spreading fast
After a brief two-month plateau, COVID-19 cases are rising again in the United States, propelled by the Omicron BA.2 subvariant and its more transmissible descendants. The uptick has experts worried, as more people are shedding their masks and returning to pre-pandemic activities.
Between April 1 and April 24, new COVID-19 cases have jumped by 75 percent, mostly due to BA.2; this subvariant now accounts for almost 75 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. While hospitalizations are still at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic, they are also trending upward nationally. And COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents and staff are rising again after falling for roughly three months.
“Ongoing transmission
