Recent data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that a COVID-19 variant that has been circulating since last year is currently the dominant variant in the United States.

The LP.8.1 COVID-19 variant, an offshoot of the Omicron strain, was first detected in June 2024, health officials have said. CDC data show that it makes up 73 percent of all cases detected in the country as of May 24, according to an update issued on June 1. The XFC variant is No. 2 at 10 percent, and the XEC variant is third at 4 percent.