Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 continues its growth path in the U.S., with the latest CDC estimates showing it accounts for nearly 12 percent of cases.
Another XBB relative, XBB.1.9.1, is also gaining traction, accounting for 9 percent of cases for the week ending April 29.
Four more COVID-19 updates:
- In India, where XBB.1.16 had been driving a surge, new cases appear to be trending down, according toThe Times of India. The strain has growth advantage and immune escape characteristics, though has not caused an increase in disease severity, according to the World Health Organization.
- The CDC is trimming the number of COVID-19 data elements hospitals must report upon termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The number of metrics hospitals are required to report will fall from 62 to 44, and reporting frequency will be reduced to once weekly.
- On April 27, the CDC loosened its rules for international travelers. According to the update, some travelers who've had a single dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will now be allowed to board U.S.-bound flights.
"Because some traveler vaccine records might not specify whether recent Moderna or Pfizer doses were bivalent, CDC will consider anybody with a record of a single dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine issued on or after August 12, 2022, to meet the requirements," the CDC said.
4. The CDC will stop tracking COVID-19 community levels when the PHE ends and will instead rely mostly on hospitalization data, according to an April 28 report from CNN. "We're not going to lose complete surveillance, but we will lose that hyerlocal sensitivity to it perhaps," a source familiar with the matter told the news outlet, adding the change is out of necessity as the government will no longer require the reporting of certain metrics upon termination of the PHE.