UK Health Security Agency says Omicron set to become dominant

LONDON - The UK Health Security Agency on Wednesday said that the Omicron coronavirus variant was likely to outcompete Delta and replace it to become dominant, and that it could account for at least half of new COVID-19 cases in the next 2-4 weeks.

"Omicron is displaying a significant growth advantage over Delta, meaning that it is likely to outcompete Delta in the UK and become the dominant variant," UKHSA said in a statement.

"If the growth rate and doubling time continue at the rate we have seen in the last two weeks, we expect to see at least 50% of COVID-19 cases to be caused by the Omicron variant in the next 2-4 weeks."