The Omicron variant has swept across the United States, accounting for 73% of the new cases reported in the last week, a 600% increase over the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA Today reports.
By comparison, the Delta variant was first reported in the United States in February 2020. It took over as the main variant four months later, and by November, more than 99% of cases reported were the Delta variant. The first case of Omicron was reported in the US December 1st.
“All of us have a date with omicron,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “If you’re going to interact with society, if you’re going to have any type of life, omicron will be something you encounter, and the best way you can encounter this is to be fully vaccinated.”