LOS ANGELES, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Another form of the Omicron subvariant has become the dominant strain among new U.S. COVID-19 cases, according to the latest estimates released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday.

       The new subvariant, known as BA.2.12.1, made up about 58 percent of all new U.S. cases for the week ending May 21, according to the CDC.

       The data increased from 49.4 percent a week before, and 39.2 percent two weeks prior, CDC data showed.

       BA.2.12.1 spreads more rapidly than previous versions of Omicron. The new version evolved from BA.2, which was more contagious than any previous coronavirus variant.

       Yet there was no indication that the new subvariant causes more severe disease than earlier forms did, health experts said.

       As Americans approach their Memorial Day weekend, the country is averaging more than 100,000 new confirmed cases per day for the first time since February, according to CDC data.