The Walgreens COVID-19 Index, which uses testing data from Aegis Sciences Corporation, can track the spread of the omicron variant within 24 to 48 hours, the company announced Wednesday.
Walgreens says the data, which currently shows that "more than 95% of all positive cases are presumed to be the omicron variant" underlines the importance of vaccinations and testing.
The announcement comes just after the Biden administration launched a website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests to curb the spread of the highly contagious virus. The website,, allows Americans to order four at-home tests per residential address. The offering of tests, which are delivered by the U.S.
The omicron variant now accounts for more than 99% of new COVID-19 casein the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .Dr. Matthew Hardison, senior vice president of lab operations at Aegis Sciences Corporation, said that "data regarding spread of variants is important to our understanding of viral transmission and, as new variants emerge."
Hardison added that "it will be critical to continue to track this information quickly to predict which communities are most at risk."
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