Fauci: Omicron likely dominant in U.S. in few weeks

Washington, Dec 16 (Prensa Latina) Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday that the Omicron variant will likely be dominant in the U.S. in a few weeks and warned of the possibility of hospitals being overwhelmed this winter.

December 16, 2021
18:59

He added, though, that people who are vaccinated, and especially those who have their booster shots, will be relatively well protected, at least against severe disease, saying his most worried about the unvaccinated.

He noted that even before omicron is widespread in the U.S., the delta variant is already causing about 120,000 cases and about 1,000 deaths per day, making added pressure from omicron even worse.

During an event organized by the United States Chamber of Commerce, the specialist said that the convergence of both versions of the virus with the flu “things could get really bad, especially for the unvaccinated.”

Omicron is the most transmissible variant of the virus yet, with a doubling time of about three days, Dr. Fauci said. While there is some early information that it could cause less severe illness, that is not assured, he added.

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