Health & Fitness
Omicron Cases In Alabama: See Latest CDC Data
The omicron variant of the coronavirus is the dominant strain in southern states, making up more than 95 percent of new cases.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — The omicron variant has overtaken the delta coronavirus variant, including in the Southeast, and is now dominant in the United States, accounting for 73 percent of new cases, federal health officials estimate.
The omicron spike comes three weeks after the variant was detected half a world away and days before Americans gather for the holidays, sparking fears among health officials that COVID-19 cases could return to early pandemic levels.
In the CDC's Region 4 — which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee — omicron variant cases outpace the delta variant significantly, accounting for 95.2 percent of the new cases of coronavirus.
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The Alabama Department of Public Health confirmed the state's first case of the omicron variant Thursday, but state health director Dr. Scott Harris said he felt the variant had already been in the state for weeks prior to the first diagnosis.
The CDC numbers reported Monday show how quickly omicron is spreading. Nationwide, omicron variant cases increased six-fold in only a week.
Find out what's happening in Birminghamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In some regions of the country, the spike is higher than 73 percent. The variant accounts for at least 90 percent of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the Midwest and Pacific.
The delta variant had been dominant since June, and as recently as the end of November represented 99.5 percent of new cases.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters Monday that omicron’s rapid spread matches what other countries have seen.
“These new numbers are stark, but they are not surprising,” Walensky said.
Only about 28 percent of Americans have gotten their COVID-19 booster shots, which health officials say is the best defense against the omicron variant. Only about 61 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated but aren’t boosted, and health officials are worried about the nation’s ability to withstand a fifth wave of COVID-19.
For more information, go to the CDC data tracker.
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