At least 18 cases of the newest omicron subvariant BA.2.75 have been confirmed in seven U.S. states as of July 20, early disease surveillance data shows.
Globally, researchers have identified 201 cases in more than a dozen countries as of July 12, according to data from outbreak.info, a platform that tracks data on coronavirus variants and is supported by the CDC and other national research groups.
The subvariant has a large number of mutations that may make it more adept than BA.5 — the nation's current dominant strain — at spreading quickly and evading immune protection. Experts say it's still unclear whether BA.2.75 will compete against BA.5 or cause more severe illness, according to CNN.
Below is a breakdown of U.S. states reporting BA.2.75 cases, based on a dashboard run by Raj Rajnarayanan, PhD, assistant dean of research and associate professor in the department of basic sciences at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. The dashboard uses data from GISAID, a global data-sharing platform for viruses.
California — 5
Washington — 4
Illinois — 3
New York— 2
Iowa — 1
North Carolina — 1
Texas — 1
Wisconsin — 1