(RxWiki News) COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing in the United States, with the increase apparently driven largely by the Omicron variant.
That's the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which, as of publication time, said that 59,521,277 Americans had been infected with the virus in the pandemic so far.
That's an increase of more than 9 million cases in the US in one month. This huge spike in cases appears to be driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Although data on the new variant is still coming in, some reports suggest that the variant may be less likely than past variants to cause severe illness.
As of publication time, 834,077 people had died from COVID-19 in the US — a one-month increase that is much less pronounced than the increase in total cases. Death counts tend to increase a few weeks after case counts increase.
On Jan. 3, the CDC reported 956,893 new cases of COVID-19 in the US. That marked a pandemic record for new cases in a single day.
Meanwhile, health officials continue to recommend vaccination, boosters, masks, and social distancing and isolation protocols to slow the spread of the virus.
While vaccinated people appear to be vulnerable to infection with the Omicron variant, the CDC has said that booster shots increase immunity. And breakthrough cases appear to be less severe.
Also, the CDC recently announced that eligibility for booster shots would be expanded to those who are between the ages of 12 and 17.
If you have questions or concerns about COVID-19, speak with a health care professional.
