It is ‘almost certain’ that omicron is no more serious than delta, says Fauci

The respected American scientist Anthony Fauci has said that while it will take weeks to determine the severity of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, early evidence suggests that it is no worse than previous variants and is possibly milder.

In an interview with AFP, the main medical adviser to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, spoke of what is known and what is not known about omicrons: transmissibility, ability to escape immunity generated by previous infection and vaccines, and severity of the disease caused.

The new variant is “clearly very transmissible”, probably more so than delta, the now dominant strain in the world, Fauci said.

Epidemiological data accumulated around the world also indicate that reinfections are greater with omicrons and that it is likely to have a greater capacity to escape vaccines.

According to Fauci, long-time director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the results of laboratory experiments to measure the effectiveness of antibodies provided by current omicron vaccines are expected to arrive “in the next few days or a week”.

As for gravity, “it’s almost certainly no more serious than delta,” Fauci said.

“There is some evidence that it could be even less serious, because when we look at some of the cohort surveys being carried out in South Africa, the ratio between the number infected and the number hospitalized appears to be lower than with delta,” he explained. .

However, he added, it is important not to overestimate these data because the monitored populations were younger and less likely to be hospitalized.

“I think it will take a few weeks, at least in South Africa,” where the variant was first detected in November, he said.

Epidemiological data from around the world also point to greater chances of reinfection with omicrons.

Fauci said, however, that a virus that is more communicable, but does not cause more serious illnesses or more hospitalizations and deaths, is “the best scenario.”

“The worst case scenario is where the virus is not only highly transmissible, it also causes serious illness and then comes another wave of infections that are not necessarily mitigated by the vaccine or past infections,” he added.

“I don’t think the worst-case scenario will happen, but you never know.”

mysterious origin

The omicron variant has already been detected in at least 38 countries.

While it hasn’t yet been linked to any deaths, scientists are especially concerned about the more than 30 mutations it has in the spike protein, which protrudes onto the surface of the coronavirus and allows it to invade cells.

Fauci said that science still doesn’t know the origin of the variant, but there are two main theories. One is that it evolved within the body of an immunosuppressed patient, such as a person with HIV who could not quickly fight the virus. The other is that the virus passed from humans to animals and then returned with more mutations, an example of “reverse zoonosis.”

Asked whether those vaccinated should be more cautious, due to the doubts that hover over the omicron, Fauci replied that citizens need to be prudent, especially when traveling, and wear masks when meeting in closed places where the vaccination status is unknown. from third parties.

Whoever is fully vaccinated should also receive a booster dose when this is the recommendation of authorities, he said.

Booster vaccines have been shown to increase the level of antibodies. They also avoid serious forms of Covid-19, as seen in Israel, which launched its reinforcement campaign before the United States, according to Fauci.

But what remains to be seen, he clarified, is how long the immune response lasts after the booster dose and whether others will be needed in the future.

misinformation

This Tuesday (7), the United States reached 60% of its population with the complete vaccination schedule. Fauci warned that there is still a long way to go.

The 80-year-old physician and scientist emphasized that misinformation continues to hamper the country’s response to the pandemic, an especially serious problem in Republican-ruled states.

“Disinformation continues to be a very, very significant loss for an adequate response”, he pointed out.

“We still have 60 million people in this country who are eligible to be vaccinated and not vaccinated, and a large proportion of them along ideological and partisan lines, which is just too pitiful.”

The so-called “red” states, led by Republicans, have lower vaccination rates than the “blue” states led by Democrats.

“There is no reason for that, it shouldn’t be like that, we should have a uniform posture in relation to public health”, he concluded.