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Updated December 16th, 2021 at 13:50 IST

US CDC warns Omicron variant spread could lead to major COVID wave as early as Jan 2022

During a Tuesday morning briefing, top federal health authorities stated that the prevalence of Omicron has increased to seven times in a single week

Reported by: Anwesha Majumdar
US
Image: AP/ Pixabay | Image:self
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Amid the surge in cases of new COVID-19 variant Omicron across the world, new modelling evaluated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that the Omicron strain is transmitting rapidly in the United States and could peak into a major wave in the month of January. During a Tuesday morning briefing, top federal health authorities stated that the prevalence of Omicron has increased to seven times in a single week, and if this rate continues then the highly mutated variation may put even more burden on a healthcare system that is already under stress in many locations as the Delta variety continues its own rise, Washington Post reported. 

The warning of an approaching spike came despite the fact that federal officials and certain pharmaceutical executives have stated that they do not support the development of an Omicron-specific vaccination at this time. According to the information till now, current vaccinations combined with COVID boosters are an efficient tool against Omicron. The chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Marcus Plescia who was present at the briefing asserted, “I’m a lot more alarmed. I’m worried,” as per Washington Post.  

Plescia went on to say that the CDC, which is known for being careful in its message, advised public health authorities that "we got to get people ready for this." He highlighted that, if the Omicron spike occurs as predicted, it would occur when Delta continues its attack and even at a time of year when influenza cases typically peak. 

Omicron accounts for around 3% of cases in the US

In addition to this, as per statistics from the CDC, the Omicron COVID-19 variation currently accounts for around 3% of instances in the US, while the Delta strain continues to dominate in the nation, contributing almost 97% of all Covid cases. One vaccinated individual was hospitalised with Omicron, according to the CDC, but no fatalities have been documented among the 43 other affected people. Cough, tiredness, congestion, and a runny nose are the most prevalent symptoms so far detected in the patients, CNBC reported.  

According to The New York Times, the US recorded 116,892 new cases on Tuesday, a 46% rise over the previous two weeks. Hospitalizations have also increased by 22%, averaging roughly 67,000 each day. Furthermore, in the first month after its discovery, questions about how rapidly Omicron will expand, how severe it will be, and whether vaccinations will be effective against the variation remain unanswered. However, the first study of individuals infected with Omicron was published on Monday, which revealed that the virus generally displays mild symptoms, and two doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine have only averted 30% of infection during the time of research, as per the PEOPLE. Meanwhile, as per Worldometers, over 51,290,979 individuals have been affected by the disease in the nation since the outbreak, and more than 823,390 people have lost their lives due to Coronavirus. 

(Image: AP/ Pixabay) 

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Published December 16th, 2021 at 13:50 IST

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