EG.5 Becomes Most Prevalent COVID Strain Circulating in US

The COVID-19 subvariant EG.5, a descendant of omicron, is now the primary variant in the United States.

People, some still wearing face masks, ride a subway in Brooklyn in New York City, on May 11, 2023. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The COVID-19 subvariant EG.5, a descendant of omicron, is now the primary variant in the United States.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Aug. 8, EG.5 has surpassed the previous variant XBB.1.16, and makes up an estimated 17.3 percent of cases—up from about 12 percent of cases in July, and from about 1.1 percent by the end of May.