New York: New EG.5 variant drives up COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state

New variant drives up COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York New COVID-19 variant impacts New York State Spectrum News 1 Central NY

A new COVID-19 strain is throwing a monkey wrench into the end of the summer and start of school. The most recent variant, dubbed EG.5, has led to an uptick in COVID-19 cases across New York state, and health experts are investigating.

According to estimates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, EG.5 was responsible for a little more than 20% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. at the end of the third week of August, more than any other strain.