Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, testifies during the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing entitled Next Steps: The Road Ahead for the COVID-19 Response in the Dirksen building on Thursday, November 4, 2021.
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Americans must be prepared to do “anything and everything” to combat the Omicron-Covid variant, said US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday.
Nevertheless, it was “too early to say” whether suspensions or new mandates will be appropriate, said Fauci in ABC’s “This Week”.
The World Health Organization last week classified Omicron as a “variant of concern,” meaning it is more contagious, virulent, or adept at bypassing public health measures, vaccines, and therapeutics.
The variant first discovered in South Africa has several mutations in the spike protein that allow the virus to enter the body, and some of these mutations could lead to increased antibody resistance and transmission.
The US had already announced that it would restrict travel for non-US citizens from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. The variant has been found in the UK, Israel, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Australia, and Hong Kong, but not yet in the US
“It will inevitably be here. The question is, will we be prepared for it? If and when and when it comes, hopefully we will be ready for it,” added Fauci.
Fauci met with President Joe Biden and the Covid Response Team on Sunday to discuss the variant and the government’s response, a White House official said.
At the meeting, Fauci said that while it will be about two weeks before more definitive information about the portability, severity, and other characteristics of the variant, he believes that existing vaccines are likely to offer some protection.
Fauci also reiterated that boosters for fully vaccinated individuals are the strongest protection available from Covid, stressing that adults and children who are not yet fully vaccinated should get vaccinated immediately.
Biotech companies have taken action to fight Omicron. Moderna chief medical officer Paul Burton said Sunday the vaccine maker could launch a reformulated vaccine against the variant Omicron coronavirus early next year. However, it is not clear whether new formulations are needed or whether current vaccines offer adequate protection.
Fauci said unvaccinated people should continue to receive Covid vaccinations, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“As I’ve said so many times, we really need to prepare for the worst. And it can’t be that we have to go the way people say, “Fauci told ABC. “We will make decisions based on science and evidence, like we always do.”
