Fauci says 'will not be surprised' if Omicron COVID variant is already in US

As countries across the globe are trying to contain the spread of the newly discovered Omicron COVID-19 variant, chief medical advisor to the US President, Dr Anthony Fauci, has said that the new contagious strain could already be in the United States.

During a televised interview with NBC’s Weekend TODAY, Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that the new variant of concern has not been detected in the US as of now. However, he went on to say that he “would not be surprised” if the variant has already made its way into the country. 

“When you have a virus that is showing this degree of transmissibility and you’re already having travel-related cases that they’ve noted in Israel and Belgium and other places, when you have a virus like this, it almost invariably is ultimately going to go essentially all over,” Fauci told NBC. 

The Omicron variant had first appeared in a specimen collected on November 9 and was reported from South Africa. The new strain has already been discovered in the UK, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Israel and Hong Kong. No confirmed cases had been reported in the US as of Saturday, however, the nation has imposed a ban on travel from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi, and additionally the US State Department has formally warned Americans against travelling to South Africa and seven of its neighbours. 

While speaking at the interview, Fauci said that the identified mutations of Omicron predict that the strain could likely be more transmissible and suggest it could evade monoclonal antibodies, convalescent plasma and possibly vaccines. But, the top US official also emphasised that there is still plenty that is unknown. "This is something you've got to pay really close attention to and be prepared for something that's serious," Fauci said, adding that "It may not turn out that way, but you really want to be ahead of it."

US working with South Africa to learn more about Omicron's molecular makeup

Meanwhile, in a separate interview with CNN, Fauci informed that the US is working closely with South Africa to learn more about the molecular makeup of the variant before it can concretely assess the threat the new COVID strain poses. Dr Fauci, said, "Right now you're talking about sort of like a red flag that this might be an issue- but we don't know". He clarified that once it is tested it would be clear whether the new coronavirus strain "does or does not evade the antibodies that we make- for example against the virus, through a vaccine".

The Omicron variant has been deemed a Variant of Concern (VoC) by the World Health Organization (WHO). A WHO official said that researchers are investigating the source of the virus that led to the recent spike in the African country, AP reported. Currently, experts are worried about how fast it may spread and whether it will cause people to become sicker than the existing delta strain of the virus. 

(Image: AP/Pixabay)