It is responsible for over 73% of new Covid-19 cases, 20 days after the first case of Omicron was reported.

This data was revealed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For the week ending December 18, Omicron accounted for 73.2% of cases, with Delta making up an additional 26.6%.

The week prior, ending December 11, Omicron was estimated at just 12.6% of circulating virus, and in the first week of December, Omicron accounted for about 1% of new cases.

Omicron makes up over 95% of circulating viruses in parts of the Northwest and Southeast, the data shows.

As of Monday, 48 US states have reported cases of Omicron according to public statements from hospital systems and state officials, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. The only states that have not reported cases of Omicron are Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States, warns Omicron was "going to take over" as it is highly transmissible and reportedly more resistant to vaccines.

"There's no doubt about this, [Omicron] has an extraordinary capability of spreading," Dr Anthony Fauci said. And is now "raging through the world".

The World Health Organization says Omicron cases are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days.

All although many people have said the Omicron is mild and has had no fatalities, the death of a Texas man in his 50s is related to Omicron, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced Monday.

This is the first known, confirmed Omicron-related death in the US.

According to a release from Harris County Public Health, the man "was unvaccinated and had been infected with COVID-19 previously. The individual was at higher risk of severe complications from COVID-19 due to his unvaccinated status and had underlying health conditions."

Source: CNN