The US is unlikely to face a fourth wave of the coronavirus, but the number of cases is likely to decline before continuing to decline, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told ABC’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
Why it matters: It comes amid growing concerns about a possible wave in the US. Gottlieb noted that there are still many unanswered questions about new COVID-19 variants that could cause problems on the road.
What they say: Gottlieb said a plateau in case numbers could be fueled by the proliferation of new variants – such as the New York B. 1.526 variant, the South African variant, B.1.351, and the UK variant, B.1.1. 7 – as well as the relaxation of security restrictions.
- “I don’t think we’ll have a fourth wave, I think what we’re seeing across the country is parts of the country that are on the plateau, and we’re seeing increases in certain parts of the country.”
- “I think you can see a leveling off for a period of time before we continue with a downward decline, largely because B.1.1.7 is becoming more common, largely because we are withdrawing too quickly with respect. to eliminate. “
But, but, but: Gottlieb said questions remain about the variants themselves.
- “What we don’t understand at 1,526 is whether people are getting infected with it again and whether people who may have been vaccinated are now getting infected with it.”
- “One of the concerns about this particular variant is that it has that mutation that is also in the South African variant, in the B.1.351 variant, which we know in certain cases causes people who already have coronavirus. had become infected with it again. “
The big picture: Gottlieb said the US should start tracking variants of COVID-19 better.
- “We need to act much more aggressively and start sequencing cases, especially people who report having previously been vaccinated or already had COVID.”