December 20, 2021
2 mins read

Fauci warns of bleak winter with Omicron 

The government’s pandemic advisor also cautioned against too much optimism over Omicron’s severity, noting that in South Africa, while the hospitalization-to-case ratio is lower than with Delta, this could be due to underlying immunity from widespread previous infections, reports Asian Lite News

Top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci on Sunday warned of a bleak winter ahead as the Omicron coronavirus variant spurs a new wave of infections globally, sparking restrictions and concerns over hospital capacity.

“One thing that’s very clear… is (Omicron’s) extraordinary capability of spreading,” Fauci told NBC News. “It is just… raging through the world.”

Since it was first reported in South Africa in November, Omicron has been identified in dozens of countries, prompting many to reimpose travel restrictions and other measures.

Despite indications, it is not more severe than the Delta variant – currently, still, the dominant strain — the heavily mutated Omicron has been shown in early data to have a worrying resistance to vaccines and higher transmissibility.

Fauci also cautioned against too much optimism over Omicron’s severity, noting that in South Africa, while the hospitalization-to-case ratio is lower than with Delta, this could be due to underlying immunity from widespread previous infections.

“No matter how you look at it,” he said, “when you have so many, many infections, even if it is less severe, that overcomes this slight to a moderate diminution in severity.”

“Our hospitals, if things look like they’re looking now in the next week or two, are going to be very stressed,” particularly in areas of the country with low levels of vaccination, Fauci said.

On Sunday, US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker each said separately on Twitter that they had tested positive for Covid-19 despite being vaccinated and boosted, and were experiencing mild symptoms.

Neither indicated whether they had been infected with Omicron.

Fauci urged unvaccinated Americans to get a shot and the vaccinated to get boosters, which have been shown to re-up protection.

‘Tough few weeks to months’

The administration of President Joe Biden, who is due to address the nation on pandemic developments on Tuesday, has been campaigning hard for vaccination.

While a little more than 70 percent of the US population has had at least one shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, another 50 million eligible people remain unprotected, Fauci said.

“With Omicron… it is going to be a tough few weeks to months as we get deeper into the winter,” he added.

Omicron now accounts for around three percent of cases in the United States, a figure that is expected to rise rapidly as has been seen in other countries.

On Saturday, New York state announced a record number of daily cases for the second day in a row, with almost 22,000 positive results.

The United States is the nation hit hardest by the pandemic, crossing 800,000 known Covid-19 deaths last week, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.

ALSO READ: Omicron becomes dominant strain of Covid-19 in Ireland

Previous Story

Iran to tighten security at Karaj Site

Next Story

EGYPT: Muslim Brotherhood leader gets life term

Latest from -Top News

Perdue sworn in as US envoy to China 

David Perdue, a ‘hawkish’ figure in US politics, served as a Senator from 2015 to 2021, where he gained a reputation for his firm stance on China.  David Perdue, the former US

Mock drills held nationwide 

The nationwide mock drills are part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance civil defence capabilities and coinciding with the Pahalgam attack and India’s retaliatory action to it.   India conducted large-scale

India’s deepest strikes since 1971 

By extending its strike capabilities deep into Pakistan’s heartland, India has redrawn the contours of conventional deterrence in the subcontinent. This could embolden future Indian responses to cross-border terror attacks, but it

PM calls off Europe trip 

The visit was slated to include India’s participation in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo on May 15–16.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has postponed his forthcoming visits to Norway, Croatia, and the

UK urges direct dialogue 

Describing the situation as a “serious concern,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged both nuclear-armed neighbours to avoid escalation and prioritise diplomatic avenues.  UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called on India
Go toTop

Don't Miss

China Condemns US Move Against TikTok

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation with

Black Friday online sales hit record billions

Consumers spent $72.2 billion online in October, 10.9 per cent