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The variant, whose official name is EG.5, is causing about 17 percent of cases nationwide, with about 16 percent of cases linked to the XBB.1.16 strain known as Arcturus, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Arcturus was first identified in March of this year.
The World Health Organization warned that Eris, a descendent of the XBB subvariant, could lead to an increase in infections.
"Due to its growth advantage and immune escape characteristics, EG.5 may cause a rise in case incidence and become dominant in some countries or even globally," the WHO said on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
COVID hospital admissions during the week ending Saturday, July 29, increased 12.5 percent over the previous week, according to CDC data.
Meanwhile, visits to the emergency room were up more than 21.8 percent, and the positive test percentage increased 1.3 percent.
The US has seen increases in COVID each of the last three summers, and this year's increases in cases and hospitalizations are notably lower than the surge in the summer of 2022 fueled by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
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