What we know about omicron and the new COVID-19 subvariant

In the late winter and early spring, a new, more transmissible omicron subvariant, known as BA.2, has gained steam, becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. It is now causing slightly more than one-third of infections in the United States, the CDC estimates. Wednesday's pandemic update from the Minnesota Department of Health showed zero COVID-19 deaths recorded so far on March 12. That could change, given delays in reporting and verifying COVID-19 deaths, but it nonetheless is the latest sign that Minnesota has emerged from its fifth and latest pandemic wave.