CDC Data Confirms Covid-19 Hospital Admissions Climb Per Capita
A mini-wave of Covid cases has swept across parts of the US causing hospitalisations to increase by 39 per cent since the end of July.
The wave is being fueled by the newest dominant variant EG.5, nicknamed “Eris”, which is a subvariant of Omicron.
Eris was first detected in the US in April and contains a mutation that helps it evade antibodies from previous infections or vaccinations. Despite this, the subvariant does not seem to cause any more severe illness than previous strains and responds to treatment medications.
The rise in cases has caused several schools and healthcare companies to reinstate mask mandates leading to fierce debate.
Vaccine developers are now working to update and test a new Covid booster that will target Omicron specifically which experts say could help reduce the spread of the new variant and prevent severe illness
Officials in the Center for Disease Control (CDC) believe the new vaccine will be available in mid-late September once it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
CDC Covid tracker
15,067 hospitalisations from 13 August to 19 August
