FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The newest COVID-19 variant, already dominant in four states, has found its way into Florida and is quickly becoming a larger percentage of new cases.
As of Friday, BA.4.6 is responsible for about 10% of all cases of COVID-19 in Florida, according to Helix, which sequences positive test samples. It had only been responsible for about 2% just three weeks ago.
The newest subvariant has actually been “circulating for several weeks” in the U.S. and was designated by the CDC as a “variant of concern” for greater transmissibility, reduced effectiveness of treatment, increased severity, or decreased neutralization by antibodies. BA.4.6 has become the dominant COVID variant in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
