Dr. Anthony Fauci pointed to the growing omicron surge in New York City as an “inevitable” sign of things to come nationwide, especially for the unvaccinated or those who haven’t yet gotten a booster shot.
With COVID cases soaring in the Big Apple, the pandemic doctor said there is no doubt the fast-spreading omicron strain is making its way across the U.S.
”Yes, omicron is more transmissible,” Fauci said at a briefing on Friday given by the White House Coronavirus Task Force. “We see what’s going on in New York City, where we’re getting beyond double digits of omicron being the primary variant.”
Fauci said it’s “still up in the air” whether omicron causes less serious illness than previous variants, as some early clinical reports from South Africa suggest. He did say it appears not to cause more serious disease so far.
White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients tried to reassure vaccinated Americans that booster shots and other preventive measures can protect them, even though it’s possible many will test positive for COVID or suffer relatively mild symptoms.
He offered one of the harshest warnings yet to those who have so far refused to roll up their sleeves.
“For the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death,” Zients said, “for yourselves, your families and for the hospitals that you may overwhelm.”
Zients insisted that the government has no plans to allow omicron to shut down the resurgent U.S. economy or dramatically disrupt life for the majority of Americans who are vaccinated. He said about 40% of those who are fully vaccinated have gotten boosted, and about 1 million more are doing so every day.
Fauci cited a preliminary Columbia University study released this week that detailed the dramatically lower antibody protection against omicron provided by even an initial two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
But Fauci stressed that a booster shot can raise the level of protection back by up by many times.
“The bottom line: it’s critical to get vaccinated. If you are vaccinated it’s critical to get optimal protection by getting boosted,” Fauci said.
Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky sought to put a positive light on the omicron surge, noting that Americans are dramatically safer now than they were when the pandemic struck nearly two years ago.
She outlined a so-called Test to Stay program that is designed to allow children who are exposed to COVID to return more quickly to the classroom.
Walensky told Americans that they can celebrate the end-of-year holidays without fear if they take precautions like being boosted, wearing masks indoors, and testing participants before gatherings.
“We’re in a very different place compared to last year,” Walensky said. “We really want people to be able to gather and gather safely.”
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