The Omicron variant has recorded a higher death toll than the Delta variant in the US, according to statistics.
The seven-day rolling average for daily new Covid-19 deaths in the US has been climbing since mid-November, reaching 2,267 on Thursday and surpassing a September peak of 2,100 when Delta was the dominant variant.
Now Omicron is estimated to account for nearly all the virus circulating in the nation.
Omicron symptoms are often milder, and some infected people show no symptoms, researchers agree. But like the flu, it can be deadly, especially for people who are older, have other health problems or who are unvaccinated.
At one hospital in Kansas, 50 Covid-19 patients have died this month and more than 200 are being treated.