New Omicron subvariant accounts for over 40 pct of new COVID-19 cases in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- New Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is estimated to account for 40.5 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United States in the week ending Dec. 31, nearly doubling from the previous week, according to data updated Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

XBB.1.5 made up 21.7 percent of the total cases in the previous week ending Dec. 24.