More infectious BA.2 omicron to replace other COVID-19 variants in the U.S.

Centrers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that the more contagious subvariant BA.2 of omicron strain now makes up 72% of COVID-19 infections in the U.S. According to the data, the BA.2 is able to displace all other COVID-19 strains and its subvariants.

Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Washington state, estimates that the displacement might happen in the next two weeks.

According to different sources, the BA.2 is from 30% to 80% more contagious than the BA.1. A top WHO official, Maria Van Kerkhove, describes BA.2 as the most transmissible version of the virus so far.