Updated Dec 20, 2021 - Health

CDC: Omicron accounted for 23% of recent COVID-19 cases

Yacob Reyes

COVID testing in NYC — People queue at a street-side COVID-19 testing booth in New York's Times Square on Dec. 20. Photo: Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

The Omicron variant accounted for 22.5% of recent COVID-19 cases in the U.S. on the week that ended on Dec. 18 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated estimate released on Dec. 28.

The latest: The revised data shows Omicron's share of COVID-19 infections nearly tripled in just one week.

The variant was only detected in the U.S. a few weeks ago. Still, the strain has spread rapidly throughout the country and threatens to overturn the new normal.

What they're saying: "These numbers are stark, but they're not surprising," said Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, adding that the growing infections reflect what has been seen in other countries.

While the Delta variant still drives up a lot of new infections, Walensky told AP she anticipates "that over time that Delta will be crowded out by Omicron."

What's next: President Biden on Tuesday will deliver a speech outlining new steps the administration will take to address the rapid spread of the new variant.

Go deeper: Why the CDC slashed its first estimate of Omicron case prevalence

Editor's note: The headline and story was updated after the CDC revised its estimates of Omicron prevalence in new COVID cases in the U.S., to 23% from 73% for the week ending Dec. 18.

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CDC: Omicron accounted for 23% of recent COVID-19 cases

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