Tracking the Variants

Bye-bye ​​BA.2. Hello, BA.2.12.1.

Another new COVID variant is spreading rapidly and will likely become the dominant strain in the United States in the next few weeks. In the week ending Saturday, BA.2.12.1 made up about 36 percent of all new cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s up from 26 percent of cases the week before. 

There’s no indication yet that causes more severe disease.

But as evidence grows that the virus is not yet contained, the federal government does not plan to continue to absorb the cost of COVID healthcare. A $20 billion government program covered COVID testing, treatment, and vaccine costs for uninsured people. But that's been shut down. Special Medicaid COVID coverage for the uninsured in more than a dozen states also likely faces its last months.