(NBC News) – As of July 15, Covid cases were growing or likely growing in 27 states including Texas, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rates of positive Covid tests have also been increasing in recent weeks, the CDC says, specifically in the southern region of the country.

N.B.1.8.1 is the current dominant variant in the United States, accounting for 43% of all new Covid cases, according to the CDC. It’s an offshoot of the XVD.1.5.1 strain, a descendant of the omicron variant. N.B.1.8.1 was responsible for a surge in hospitalizations in China earlier this year. (Read More)