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White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that an upcoming surge of the omicron variant of the coronavirus was “inevitable.”
Speaking at the White House COVID-19 response team briefing, Fauci said the U.S. is looking over its shoulder at oncoming omicron infections.
“We are in a situation: we are now facing a very important delta surge and we are looking over our shoulder at an oncoming omicron surge,” he said.
“Clearly, unvaccinated individuals … are really at a high risk of serious involvement, including hospitalization. The fully vaccinated are doing much better off but, as I’ve shown you … the optimum protection is fully vaccinated plus a boost,” Fauci added.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced that the seven-day average of hospital admissions had increased by about 4% and deaths had increased by more than 8% from the prior week.
“Although delta continues to circulate widely in the United States, omicron is increasing rapidly and we expect it to become the dominant strain in the United States – as it has in other countries – in the coming weeks,” she said. “We’ve seen cases of omicron among those who are both vaccinated and boosted and we believe these cases are milder or asymptomatic because of vaccine protection.”
A line stretches down the block as people wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 in New York on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021.
(AP Photo/Brooke Lansdale)
“What we do know is we have the tools to protect ourselves against COVID-19,” the Walensky noted, echoing previous comments by White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients.
Zients said the administration was intent on not letting omicron disrupt work in school for the vaccinated, but said the unvaccinated are looking at a “winter of severe illness and death.”
“We are prepared to confront this new challenge,” he pledged, adding that while “this is not a moment to panic,” the American people need to do their part.
Recently, many states have seen cases and hospitalizations climb and major universities have reported large COVID-19 outbreaks – including omicron cases. The variant has been detected in 39 states and CDC estimates suggest 3% of cases nationally involve the new variant.
All of this comes amidst what Fauci said is a difficult situation, due to the 50 million Americans who remain unvaccinated.
“The very vulnerable people … are predominantly … the unvaccinated,” he explained. “And that’s the reason why as we get into the depths of the winter with the travel and the holiday season upon us, that it is essential to get the unvaccinated people vaccinated. And importantly, particularly, with regard to omicron…”
Hospitals, he added, could be overwhelmed in the coming months – though he said he would not object to family gatherings for the holidays, if people are vaccinated.
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