Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a TV interview Thursday that it was “inevitable” for a new COVID-19 strain to appear in Colorado and California – and predicted its spread in the US, although “it doesn’t appear to be more virulent.”
“We predicted it would be if you have so much of it in the UK, then spread to other countries in Europe and Canada, that it would inevitably be here,” Fauci said on NBC News. Today. “
You hear reports from other states and more cases in the state that have already been reported. Unfortunately, that’s just the reality of how these viruses spread, ”he continued.
“Our UK colleagues have clearly shown that it is much more efficient to spread from person to person,” said Fauci, adding that “the good news is that it doesn’t seem to be more virulent, making people sicker and leading to more death. . “
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also noted that the mutation “does not appear to escape the protection afforded by vaccines currently in use.”
He added, “But the fact that you have a virus that spreads more efficiently is something that is important and should be taken seriously.
“This just underscores the need to keep our foot on the ground and pedal, to make sure we are taking the public health measures we talk about all the time. Wearing masks, taking physical distance, avoiding crowds in municipal settings, ”said Fauci.
Regarding the national vaccination plan, Fauci told host Craig Melvin that it was “disappointing” to have delivered nearly 3 million doses by the end of 2020 – not the 20 million doses previously predicted.
“Hopefully, as you enter the first few weeks of January, the momentum will get us where we want to be,” he said.
“But really much more needs to be done in terms of resources for the local population, namely the states, the cities, the provinces, the places where the vaccine actually ends up in the arms of individuals. You have to support the local groups, the states and the cities to help them do this job, which is a very wonderful job, ”he added.
The country’s top infectious disease doctor also revealed that changing the approach to administering the shot is “being considered”.
“I still think if done right you can do a single dose, reserve doses for the second dose and still get the job [done] but there is a lot of debate about whether or not you want to spread the first vaccination by getting more people vaccinated during the first round, ”he said.
“One of the problems is that if you don’t get the second dose on time, you get a delay. We know from the clinical trial that the optimal time is to give it in one day, and then, for Moderna, 28 days later, and for Pfizer, 21 days later, ”continued Fauci.
“That’s what the data tells us this is the best way to do it. So if you want to stick to the data, that’s how you should do it. But you can argue, and some people are, about stretching the doses by giving a single dose across the board, hoping to get the second dose in time to give to individuals. “
On Wednesday, Fauci said he expects the US to achieve enough collective COVID-19 immunity through vaccinations to regain “some semblance of normalcy” by the fall of 2021.
He made his comments during an online discussion about the pandemic with California Governor Gavin Newsom, who announced that the new species has been discovered in his state.
“As we move into January, the feeling is that we will gain momentum to catch up,” Fauci said, adding that he expected vaccinations to be widely available to the general public by April.
Assuming the vaccination campaign is running properly through May, June and July, “By the time we reach early fall, we will have enough immunity to the herd to really get back to a strong semblance of normalcy – schools , theaters, sporting events, restaurants, ”said Fauci, according to Reuters.