Fauci: The first signs of Omicron are a bit encouraging

The first “indications” coming from South Africa regarding the severity of the condition of those who became ill after being infected with the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus are “a little encouraging”, said yesterday Sunday. Anthony Fauci, adviser to the US presidency on the health crisis, however, warned that this is only a preliminary data.

“Clearly, in South Africa, Omicron is more prevalent,” the well-known American immunologist said in an interview with CNN, referring to the “vertical” rise in the incidence curve of the new variant in that country.

“But so far, although it is too early to draw definitive conclusions, (the variant) does not seem to cause (disease) with a high degree of severity,” he continued. “So far, the signs of seriousness are a little encouraging,” he said.

However, experts have pointed out in recent days that South Africa has the demographic peculiarity that its population is mostly young and that cases of serious illness may be recorded in the coming weeks.

Laboratory studies are underway to determine the extent to which the new variant, which features a series of mutations that have alarmed scientists, is more infectious, more resistant to the immunity that develops after a first infection or vaccine, and if it causes more severe forms of the disease.

“I think there is a real risk that we will see a reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines,” Moderna president Steven Houg told ABC on Sunday, echoing previous statements by the company’s chief executive, Stephan Bancel.

“What I do not know is the extent,” he added. “Will it be like the one we saw with Delta, against which the vaccines remained effective, or will we see a 50% drop in effectiveness, which means we will have to start producing (new) vaccines again?” He asked.

Moderna, like other pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, has begun work on adapting its vaccine to treat the Omicron variant specifically, if necessary.

The presence of the Omicron variant has now been confirmed in at least 15 US states and in about 40 countries around the world after being identified in South Africa.

The United States has closed its borders to travelers from that country for a week now, as well as seven others from southern Africa. Dr. Fauci said yesterday that he hoped the ban would be lifted “within a reasonable time”.

SOURCE: AMPE