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US reports record coronavirus cases amid Omicron surge

WION Web Team
WashingtonUpdated: Dec 29, 2021, 10:52 PM IST
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Photograph:(Reuters)

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Omicron has been driving the COVID-19 wave in the US with the new variant recording 59 per cent of all US coronavirus cases in the country.

According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, the US recorded 265,427 COVID-19 cases in the seven-day period which was the highest since January this year.

Omicron has been driving the COVID-19 wave in the US with the new variant recording 59 per cent of all US coronavirus cases in the country.

The new variant is considered the most transmissible although the number of severe cases has remained relatively low even as hospitalisations have increased.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9,000 coronavirus patients are being hospitalised daily in the United States amid the Omicron surge.

The United States is the worst-hit country with the virus reporting over 820,000 deaths and over 52 million COVID-19 cases. The CDC has shortened the isolation time after a positive test from 10 days to five days for citizens although they are still required to wear masks and observe COVID-19 protocol.

The Omicron variant has become the dominant strain in the US including several countries in Europe, however, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned that "overall risk related to the new variant of concern Omicron remains very high".

"Consistent evidence shows that the Omicron variant has a growth advantage over the Delta variant with a doubling time of two to three days," the WHO said.

Over 5.4 million people have died due to the virus worldwide with Europe recording 3.5 million COVID-19 cases in the last seven days leading up to Christmas.

(With inputs from Agencies)