Brendan McDermid Reuters Covid infections are on the rise again in the US with outbreaks in New York and Washington, with senior government officials fighting the virus as the most contagious variant of omicron BA.2 sweeps the country. BA.2 now accounts for 86% of new cases, almost completely replacing the previous version of omicron that powered the unprecedented winter outbreak, according to Covid Surveillance data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The variable BA.2 is anywhere from 30% to 80% more contagious than the previous micron, BA.1, according to studies from the United Kingdom and Denmark. The U.S. reported a daily average of about 29,000 new infections since Sunday, up 10 percent from the previous two weeks, according to data from the CDC. However, infections and hospitalization are still more than 90% below the peak of short stature growth in January. Although infections are on the rise, most counties still have low levels of Covid transmission and hospitalization, which means that people living in these areas do not need to wear indoor CDC-guided public health masks. The White House Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anthony Fauci said this week that Covid will continue to be available in communities in the near future and people will have to make individual decisions about the risk they are willing to take based on their age and health status. “What we hope will happen, and I believe will happen, is that you will not see a comparable increase in severity in terms of people in need of hospitalization and death,” Fauci told ABC’s This Week. The Director of the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, has previously stated that there is a high enough level of immunity in the US population from vaccines and previous infections to provide some protection against BA.2. Sub-variant BA.2 is even more prevalent in the northeast, where it causes a significant outbreak. BA.2 accounts for 92% of new cases in the area, including New York and New Jersey, according to the CDC. New York City reports about 1,887 new infections a day on average since Saturday, up 52% in the past two weeks, according to data from the city’s health department.
CNBC Health & Science
Read CNBC’s latest global coverage of the Covid pandemic: New York Mayor Eric Adams tested positive for the virus on Sunday after waking up with a cracked voice. Adams attended the Gridiron Dinner in Washington, D.C., an annual event that brings together prominent government officials and journalists. At least 80 people who attended the dinner, the first since 2019, tested positive on Covid, including several senior government officials, according to Gridiron Club president Tom DeFrank. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Representatives Joaquin Castro and Adam Schiff and Senator Susan Collins were positive after attending the dinner. California House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also tested positive for Covid last week, but showed no symptoms and did not attend Gridiron dinner. Pelosi’s positive result came a day after she stood next to President Joe Biden at a bill swearing-in ceremony. Biden, who also did not attend the Gridiron dinner, subsequently tested negative on Covid. The outburst between White House officials and senior lawmakers comes as the rate of Covid infections in Washington has risen by 73% in two weeks, although overall transmission remains low compared to the winter wave. BA.2 accounts for 84% of new cases in the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes the country’s capital. Philadelphia, meanwhile, became the first major city in the United States to reinstate its indoor mask mandate on April 18. The city made the decision after Covid cases rose more than 50% in 10 days, according to Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, Philadelphia Health Commissioner.
