Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb predicted Sunday that the contagious new strain of COVID-19 will make up the “majority” of cases in the US in March.
“There are estimates that the new variant probably represents about 1 percent of all infections in this country. March will be the most infections, ” Gottlieb said on CBS ” Face the Nation.
Gottlieb said it will “grow rapidly” and that its arrival adds more pressure to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed as soon as possible.
“I think the existence of this new variant, which is spreading faster, really creates more urgency to try to get this vaccine out faster and get more people vaccinated – even though it’s a more general population,” said Gottlieb.
“There is currently a lot of over-demand for the vaccine, especially among the elderly. I think we need to think about moving quickly through these stages that we have delineated and starting a general vaccination program for people aged 65 and over sooner, ”he continued.
At least three states – Colorado, California and Florida – have confirmed cases of the new strain of the coronavirus, which first emerged in the United Kingdom.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that the new variant of the coronavirus could be 70 percent more transmissible than other known strains.