Anthony Fauci expressed concern at the raging Omicron variant of COVID-19 that has spread across the world. But he was confident that he doesn’t foresee a total shutdown in the US as concern grows about its effects.
But Anthony Fauci cautioned that there could be a spurt in patients being admitted to hospitals. He said that healthcare workers could come under renewed stress.
The new variant has already been detected in over 80 countries. But America’s foremost infectious disease expert and the chief medical adviser at the White House said that is not a possibility shortly, but he also regretted that people were not heeding medical advice.
Unvaccinated Citizens A Cause For Concern: Anthony Fauci
Anthony Fauci expressed concern that around 50M people are eligible to be vaccinated but have yet to take one. He warned that there will be a rise in hospitalization with the increase in cases.
He says that with that degree of vulnerability, and with the virulent strain of the Omicron variant, it is obvious that there will be an abnormal rise in hospitalization. That would put stress on the health system of that region and also on the health workers who are already operating under high pressure.
The Omicron strain was first detected on December 1 in the US according to reports from the CDCP. The variant has already spread to 45 states including Lousiana, California, and New York. 21,027 positive cases of the Omicron variant were detected even as the holiday season starts.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that even though COVID vaccines would protect against severe cases, hospitalization and fatalities. But they warned that the Omicron variant is more contagious and people could spread the virus to people who have not been vaccinated or do not have any symptoms.
The vaccine has been successful against the Delta variant, which is the main variant in the US. The emergency of another strain further complicates the effort to combat the pandemic, the agency noted.
The President also tweeted that people who haven’t taken the vaccination are most likely to be affected by the virus. He is likely to address the nation on the administration’s plans against the virus.
