LOS ANGELES, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant has accounted for nearly three quarters of new COVID-19 infections in the United States, according to the data updated Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

       The BA.2 variant represented 74.4 percent of the new COVID-19 cases in the country for the week ending April 16, slightly down from 75.5 percent a week prior, according to the CDC data.

       The variant has been steadily rising in proportion due to its increased transmissibility compared to the original Omicron strain. It has become the dominant strain in the United States.