A new omicron subvariant, BA.2.12.1, is taking hold in the U.S. and was the second-most widely spread form of the coronavirus last week, according to a report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
BA.2.12.1 made up 19% of total U.S. cases the week ending April 16, increasing its spread by almost 67% from the week before. The CDC says omicron variants overall cause less-severe illness, although they spread faster than previous variants like delta.
Mutations in COVID variants are allowing the virus to dodge protection offered by vaccines in some cases, Andy Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNN.
...“What we really just don’t know right now is how much those mutations are going to be contributing to increased spreaAgainst the backdrop of rising new variants, the Biden administration is scrambling to provide new guidance around masks after a federal judge in Florida struck down a federal mask mandate for air travel and other forms of public transportation.d or increased disease severity,” Pekosz said.'...
Against the backdrop of rising new variants, the Biden administration is scrambling to provide new guidance around masks after a federal judge in Florida struck down a federal mask mandate for air travel and other forms of public transportation.