As the Omicron coronavirus type causes a new wave of infections around the world, leading to limits and concerns about hospital capacity, top US pandemic expert Anthony Fauci warned on Sunday of a bleak winter ahead.
“One thing that’s really evident,” Fauci told NBC News, “is (Omicron’s) amazing propensity to propagate.” “It’s just… rampaging all over the place.”
Omicron has been found in dozens of countries since it was originally reported in South Africa in November, leading many to reimpose travel bans and other safeguards.
Despite appearances, it is not more severe than the Delta variation, which is still the prevalent strain; the extensively mutated Omicron strain has been proven in early data to have alarming vaccination resistance and increased transmissibility.
Fauci also warned against exaggerating Omicron’s severity, stating that while the hospitalization-to-case ratio in South Africa is lower than Delta, this could be due to underlying immunity from extensive past infections.
