A new omicron subvariant that is spreading in a large chunk of the United States is poised to take over BA.2 as the dominant strain circulating in the country, according to White House COVID-?19 Response Team.
The new strain, BA.2.12.1., "is more contagious with more immune escape, and they are driving a lot of the increases in infection that we're seeing across the nation right now", White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha said at a routine news conference Wednesday.
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Health News
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.