BA.2.86 prevalence, by state

The omicron subvariant BA.2.86 has been identified in at least seven states as of Sept. 13, according to outbreak.info, a platform that tracks data on COVID-19 variants and is supported by the CDC and other national research groups.

Nationwide, outbreak.info estimates that BA.2.86's cumulative prevalence — which represents a ratio of sequences containing BA.2.86 to all sequences collected in the U.S. since the subvariant was first detected on July 29 — is less than 0.5 percent. 

The subvariant made headlines in August because of its large number of mutations, however emerging research suggests the strain may not be as transmissible or immune-evasive as experts initially thought.  

Below is a breakdown of BA.2.86 prevalence by state, based on data from outbreak.info. As COVID-19 sequencing is not a random sample of mutations, the data represents outbreak.info's best estimates of the subvariant's prevalence, as opposed to true prevalence.

 Note: Becker's calculated each state's estimated cumulative BA.2 presence using sequencing data from outbreak.info. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundredth.