According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of coronaviruses cases in the United States caused by the Omicron variant has increased sharply, and may portend a significant surge in infections as soon as next month.
Omicron accounted for more cases in the week that ended on Saturday than in the previous week, according to projections released on Tuesday.
The percentage of Omicron infections in the region of New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands had already reached 13.1 percent.
C.D.C. officials warned of two possible scenarios during a meeting with state and local health officials and representatives of public health labs. The Omicron and Delta infections arrived as soon as next month, just as the winter respiratory infections peak.
Scott Becker, chief executive officer of the Association of Public Health Laboratories, said on the call that there are going to be waves.
He said that they are expecting an increase because they have seen a lot of respiratory viruses this fall.
The second scenario proposed by federal health officials would have a smaller surge in Omicron cases in the spring. It was not clear which forecast was more likely.
It is not known how often infections with Omicron lead to hospitalizations or deaths. The variant seems able to partially dodge the body's immune defenses, but scientists have not yet determined what degree vaccination and prior infection may safeguard individuals from severe disease.
The C.D.C. uses a national system to collect samples and genetic data.
The U.S. system was slow to pick up cases of the variant because of travel patterns. The system is constrained by delays and blind spots.
The C.D.C. reported last week that of the 43 infections detected in the United States in the first eight days of December, 34 of them had been fully vaccined. Only a third of the 43 people had traveled internationally in the two weeks before their diagnosis.
The secretary of health and human services suggested on Tuesday that the federal government may have to replenish funding for the response to the Omicron fight. The Congress allocated $50 billion for testing, but Mr. Becerra said that $10 billion was left.
Staffing may be a challenge for public health labs and hospitals.
He said that the same staff do the same things. We have to think about alternative plans, temporary staffing, and bring in people who helped during surge events last year.
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Pfizer has a pill. Pfizer announced that a study showed that its oral Covid treatment helps stave off severe disease even from the Omicron variant. If the treatment was given within three days of the start of symptoms, it reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 89 percent.
The US has around 800,000 deaths. The United States is on the verge of killing more people than any other country from the virus. Most of the people who have died in the US have been 65 or older. One in 100 older Americans have died from the disease.
U.S. mandates. New York State has a vaccine requirement for health care workers which the Supreme Court refused to block. New York has a new mask mandate, and California decided to restore it.
The lab community is tired. The health care community is tired. It is difficult to hear a message that we may have another surge.
Health officials in Europe have warned of an increase in Omicron cases. According to estimates on Monday, the variant that is similar to the United States in terms of vaccination rates and average age was doubling every two days.
The director general of the World Health Organization said in a news briefing on Tuesday that Omicron is spreading at a rate that has not been seen before.
Dr. Tedros and senior W.H.O officials warned againstunderestimating the variant. Even if Omicron causes less severe cases, the sheer number of cases could overwhelm unprepared health systems.
In the United States, state and local health officials urged Americans to take precautions to prevent the spread of Covid by getting vaccinations, booster shots and wearing masks. Before celebrating the holidays with family and friends, they must be tested in well-ventilated spaces.
Michael Fraser, chief executive officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said that state and territorial health leaders are becoming increasingly concerned about the Omicron variant being more transmissible than the Delta variant.
Hospitals are already at a breaking point because of the severe cases of Covid-19.
Nick Cumming-Bruce was involved in reporting.
