New York: With news that South Africa has passed the peak of cases caused by Omicron variants, scientists projected that the sharp increase in the United States in the case would reach the peak of January.
On Thursday, the US exceeded 5,80,000 cases, beating the record only the day before.
New estimates of researchers at Columbia University show that the US can peak on January 9, around 2.5 million cases per week, although that number might reach 5.4 million.
In New York City, the first US metropolis to see large waves, the researchers estimated the cases would peak in the first week of the new year.
“We see the number of unprecedented cases,” said Jeffrey Shaman, who led the modeling work.
The variant is significantly lighter than Delta and is much less likely to lead to hospitalization, according to data from South Africa and England.
However, many infected people can simultaneously pursue hospitals, experts say.
Other models by the University of Washington estimate the US will reach the peak in the middle or late January.