Dr Anthony Fauci warned on Sunday that new data suggested that the COVID-19 strain, which first appeared in the UK, could be more deadly.
“We must now assume that what is circulating in the UK has an increase in virulence, ie the power of the virus to cause more damage, including death,” Fauci said Margaret Brennan on CBS’s “Make the Nation.”
Fauci said British officials initially indicated that the new variant was not more lethal, but now they have reversed the course following a study that suggested it was about 30% more fatal in older adults.
The average mortality rate among 60-year-olds in the UK was around 10 to 10,000.
But with the new strain, there were about 13 or 14 deaths in the same population, USA Today reported.
“We want to analyze the data ourselves, but we have every reason to believe it. I am a very competent group “, said Fauci.
The British strain has been confirmed in at least 22 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fauci said the available COVID-19 vaccines still appear to be effective against the variant, although he admits there may be a “very small decrease” in protection.
“The pillow you have of effectiveness is so great that it will not have a negative impact,” said Fauci.
But he said it was “a little more worrying” when it comes to another new strain that was first detected in South Africa – which appears to be more resistant to the vaccine.
“It seems to be diminishing more than the effectiveness of the vaccine, but we are still at that pillow level of vaccines, being advantageous against these mutants,” Fauci said.
“That being said, we will look at this and follow this very closely, because these things are evolving. What we will do and do is make preparations for the possibility that … on the line, we need to modify and update the vaccines “, he added.