COVID-19 cases are back on the rise in the US, with more than 100,000 new cases per day
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- New COVID-19 cases have reached their highest levels since October, according to the CDC.
- The 7-day average rolling as of December 3 was reported at 106,132 new cases.
- The spike in cases comes as the US continues to grapple with the Delta variant and is bracing for the newest Omicron variant's spread.
New COVID-19 cases in the United States are once again on the rise, according to CDC data.
For the first time since October, the 7-day rolling average has passed 100,000 new cases.
As of December 3, the 7-day average was reported as 106,132, according to the CDC.
This rise in cases comes as the Delta variant continues to spread in the US — and as the new Omicron variant has reached the country.
The first confirmed case of the new coronavirus variant on US soil was on December 1 in California.
While there is still a lot we do not know about Omicron, the variant may be more contagious than previous iterations of the coronavirus thanks to more than 30 mutations on its spike protein, which could help it to evade some of the benefits of vaccines or previous infection.
Most of the early cases of Omicron have been mild, but public health experts say it's still too early to say for sure and that more research is needed.
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that a fifth wave of COVID-19 cases may be coming thanks to this new variant.
He said to avoid this, Americans need to be diligent about getting vaccinated and getting booster shots if they are eligible.
Pfizer and Moderna have announced they are ready to adjust their coronavirus vaccines to better prevent Omicron if the variant persists and resists the current vaccine.