Health officials said on Tuesday, Dec. 14, that the wave of infections caused by the highly-transmissible variant could reach a peak as soon as January, The Washington Post reported.
The CDC reported on Tuesday that it estimates the Omicron variant currently accounts for about 3 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the US.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said genomic sequencing estimates that in New York and New Jersey, the Omicron variant is about 13 percent of cases.
"It is more transmissible, and we're seeing that in other countries as well, that it's rapidly becoming the more predominant strain," Walensky told the Today Show. "But I want to emphasize that we have the tools now."
Walensky said the best way for people to protect themselves against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated if they haven't yet, and get a booster vaccine when they are eligible.
Read the full report from the Washington Post here.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mount Pleasant and receive free news updates.