According to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, President Biden's main medical adviser, the United States has now exited from the full-blown explosive pandemic phase, resulting in almost 1 million fatalities from COVID-19 and more than two years of pain and hardship.
Dr. Fauci's comments came a day after he told PBS's 'NewsHour' that the country is no longer in the pandemic phase, and he expanded on and clarified that view Wednesday, saying that the pandemic is not over and that new waves of infections could still occur as the virus mutates and spins off highly transmissible variants.
Fauci, Experts Hope To Avoid Another Surge
However, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other infectious-disease specialists are optimistic that earlier illnesses and immunizations have given the population enough antibodies to prevent another terrible increase in hospitalizations and fatalities.
His remarks come after a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the coronavirus had infected about 3 in 5 persons in the United States. During the winter wave triggered by the Omicron variety, around 1 in 4 persons were infected for the first time.
These astounding figures show that the country has far more collective immunity than it had before Omicron. What is less apparent is how long that immunity will last and how new coronavirus types might be able to overcome it, Washington Post reported.
The Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 is the most recent form to attract public health specialists' attention. It's gaining a foothold quickly, with the CDC estimating that it's responsible for around 30% of new illnesses as of Tuesday. According to preliminary estimations, it is roughly 25% more transmissible than the Omicron subvariant BA.2, which is itself more transmissible than the original Omicron strain, according to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.
US Experiences Small Uptick in COVID-19 Cases
Although fewer people are dying from COVID-19 now than they were during the majority of the epidemic, the last two months of the virus have been more lethal than most recent flu seasons, with over 400 fatalities per day.
Although the coronavirus will not be eliminated, Dr. Anthony Fauci believes that if individuals are vaccinated regularly, maybe once a year, the virus's level in society can be maintained very low. Local health officials are still attempting to get more individuals completely vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 on the ground in the United States, according to CNN.
Fauci's upbeat tone contrasted sharply with his severe warnings at the onset of the pandemic when he advised Americans to practice social isolation and masking. Despite this, the nation's top infectious disease expert recently lambasted a Florida federal judge's decision to overturn the Biden administration's decision to extend a regulation requiring masks on public transit.
Fauci's remarks come as the United States sees a slight increase in positive COVID-19 infections caused by the virus's BA.2 subvariant. Several politicians, journalists, and government officials in Washington, DC, tested positive for the virus last month after attending numerous meals and gatherings.
Meanwhile, Fauci stated earlier this month that the mutation does not appear to be connected with an increase in hospitalizations and severe illness, as per New York Post.
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