Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a TV interview on Thursday that it was “inevitable” that a new strain of COVID-19 would appear in Colorado and California – and predicted its spread in the United States, although “it doesn’t seem more virulent.”
“I predicted it would be, when you have a lot of it in the UK, which then spread to other countries in Europe and Canada, it was inevitable that it would be here,” Fauci told NBC News “Today.” .
“You will hear reports from other states and several cases from the state already reported. Unfortunately, this is just the reality of how these viruses spread, “he continued.
“Our British colleagues have clearly shown that it is much more effective in spreading from person to person,” Fauci said, adding that “the good news is that it does not appear to be more virulent, namely, making people sick and leading to to more death ”.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also noted that the mutation “does not appear to evade the protection offered by the vaccines that are currently used.”
He added: “But the fact that you have a virus that is spreading more efficiently is important and should be taken seriously.
“This only underscores the need to continue to set foot on the floor and pedal, to ensure that we are doing the public health measures we are talking about all the time. Wearing masks, physical distance, avoiding crowds in congregation conditions “, said Fauci.
As for the national vaccination plan, Fauci told host Craig Melvin that it is “disappointing” to have given nearly 3 million – not the 20 million doses as previously projected – by the end of 2020.
“We hope that as you get into the first two weeks of January, gaining momentum will get us to where we want to be,” he said.
“But there really has to be a lot more effort in terms of resources for the locals, namely the states, the cities, the counties, the places where the vaccine actually enters the arms of individuals. You need to support local groups, states and cities to help them accomplish this task, which is a very prodigious task, “he added.
The nation’s top doctor with infectious diseases also revealed that the change in approach to jab administration is “under review”.
“I still think that if done correctly, you can take a single dose, you can book doses for the second dose and you can still get the job. [done] but there is a lot of discussion about whether or not you want to spread the initial vaccination, by vaccinating more people in the first round, ”he said.
“One of the problems with doing this is that if you do not receive the second dose in time, you will have a period of delay. From the clinical study we know that the optimal time is to give it one day, then for Moderna 28 days later and for Pfizer 21 days later “, continued Fauci.
“This is what the data tells us is the best way to do it. So if you want to stay with the data, you should. But you can argue, and some people are, about expanding the doses, offering a single dose everywhere, and hoping that you will get the second dose in time to give to individuals. “
On Wednesday, Fauci said he expects the United States to obtain sufficient COVID-19 collective immunity through vaccinations to regain “an appearance of normalcy” by the fall of 2021.
He made remarks during an online pandemic discussion with California Governor Gavin Newsom, who announced that the new strain had been detected in his state.
“As we enter January, the feeling is that we will gain momentum to catch up,” Fauci said, adding that immunizations are expected to become widely available to the general public on demand by April.
Assuming that the inoculation campaign is progressing as it should by May, June and July, “By the beginning of autumn, we will have enough good immunity for the herd to be able to really return to a strong appearance of normalcy – schools, theaters, sporting events, restaurants, “Fauci said, according to Reuters.