US: Fauci gives stark warning about Omicron, says 'hospitals might be overloaded'

In the United States, the cases of Omicron variant will be common in a few weeks, as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden suggests at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation event. He also stated that hospitals may be overloaded by this winter, as per the reports of the Hill. He stated that people who are fully vaccinated and who have received their booster shots have a good chance of being protected and that unvaccinated are the most vulnerable. He claims that the Omicron variant will take the dominating role from the month of January.

He pointed out that even before Omicron came to the United States, the delta variant already created havoc and is responsible for around 120,000 infections and 1,000 deaths. He further stated that people who have received their booster shots, on the other hand, have restored protection against Omicron, and those who only received two shots may still have protection against severe sickness.

Risk varies on an individual’s immunisation status

However, the medical advisor also said that the risk varies on an individual’s immunisation status. He continued by stating that with Omicron, things might get pretty nasty, especially for the unvaccinated, according to the Hill. The Biden administration has highlighted that booster shots are the best way to respond to the new variant.

Fauci also stated that if people are vaccinated, he has no objections to holiday family reunions and claims that Omicron is the virus's most transmissible variant. While there is preliminary evidence that it may result in less severe sickness, he cautioned that this is not guaranteed, according to the Hill. Given its transmissibility, even if it causes slightly less severe illness on average, it could still result in a significant number of severe cases overall.

36 states in the United States have confirmed cases of Omicron

According to ANI, Rochelle Walensky, who is the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that at least 36 states in the United States and over 75 nations have reported confirmed cases caused by the Omicron variant and it is now estimated to account for roughly 3% of cases in the United States. He also said that Omicron estimates are much higher in some areas of the country, notably New York and New Jersey, where the CDC thinks that Omicron could account for roughly 13% of all cases.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP/ Shutterstock