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New coronavirus mutant BA.2.75 raises concerns in multiple US states

Virus Outbreak Latest Omicron Mutant
Posted at 4:02 PM, Jul 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-14 19:04:03-04

A new coronavirus mutation, a subvariant of omicron, has piqued the interest of scientists: BA.2.75.

A firm known as Helix, which has been monitoring the variant's spread, has noted that it is now in at least three U.S. states. California, Washington and Illinois have all detected cases so far. As The Hill reported, another professor at New York's Institute of Technology says his data shows the variant is in at least seven U.S. states: California, Washington, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

The quickly changing omicron mutation has gained ground in India and has appeared in other countries apart from the United States. Scientists say the variant may be able to spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infection, the Associated Press reported. It's unclear whether it could cause more serious disease than the globally dominant variant BA.5. Scientists are concerned about the fact that it's widespread in multiple countries.

It has been detected in distant states within India and about 10 other nations.