Fauci: Omicron ‘raging through the world’ and travel increases Covid risks – The Guardian

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has “extraordinary spreading capabilities”, the US government’s top infectious diseases expert said on Sunday, warning that it is already “raging through the world”.

Dr Anthony Fauci’s warning came ahead of the busy holiday traveling period, which he said would elevate the risk of infection even in vaccinated people.

In the interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief White House medical adviser and head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, urged Americans to get booster shots and wear masks.

Many of the new cases of Omicron are so-called “breakthrough” infections. Florida, one of the hardest-hit states throughout the pandemic, reported on Sunday that about 30% of new infections were in people already vaccinated but who had not received a booster.

Fauci and other experts have said immunisations alone will not prevent the spread of Omicron, but are confident the risk of serious infection or death is vastly reduced in those who are vaccinated.

Biden is due to speak on the Omicron threat on Tuesday. On Thursday, he warned: “For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death.”

In New York, authorities said 22,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, eclipsing the previous record since testing became widely available.

“I’m confident we’ll get through this, but there are some challenges this time around that I think we’re going to have to think through a bit carefully,” said Dr John D’Angelo, chief of integrated operations at the Northwell Health system.

A study in South Africa this week suggested the Pfizer vaccine has a weaker efficacy against Omicron in patients who have received two doses than against the Delta variant.

The research by Discovery Health, the country’s largest medical insurance administrator, calculated a 70% protection from hospitalisation compared with the unvaccinated, and 33% protection against infection. The group said that represented a drop from 93% hospitalisation protection and 80% infection prevention for Delta.