Anthony Fauci warns of more severe variant as daily COVID-19 cases in US near 100,000

At a time the Delta variant is increasing COVID-19 infections in the USA, chief medical advisor Dr Anothony Fauci on Wednesday warned of the possibility of a deadlier coronavirus strain that could bypass available vaccines.  

As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States rises, top US viral disease expert Anthony Fauci cautioned that if a new variant enters the country, it may spell disaster. On Wednesday, the Delta version of the Coronavirus reached a six-month high in the United States, with over 100,000 illnesses reported.

The White House's top medical adviser told McClatchy in an interview, "If America's current COVID-19 surge continues unabated into the fall and winter, the country will likely face an even more deadly strain of the virus that could evade the current coronavirus vaccines."

Need to speed up vaccination

Dr Fauci's remarks emphasise the urgency of rapidly immunizing millions of Americans who are yet to receive vaccines. The Delta mutation of the coronavirus, which is already more contagious than the original strain, is to blame for the present uptick in infections across the USA. According to one research, those who have been vaccinated but still get infected with the Delta strain have large viral loads that could spread to others, even if they do not display symptoms or have a sickness.

Over a seven-day average, the United States recorded 95,000 cases, with Florida, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi recording the highest numbers. With the virus spreading to children, Florida has been heavily affected, with hospitals fast running out of beds. 

Booster shots

According to the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Fauci, the US government is planning to administer booster shots to Americans with low immunity, with the possibility of cases exceeding 200,000 per day. Although current vaccines have proven effective against the coronavirus, Dr. Fauci indicated that this may not be the case if a new strain appears.

Booster doses have also been given to residents in Germany, France, and Israel. In a cause for major concern, new variants are already appearing. Two cases of the highly transmissible Delta plus variant of the coronavirus have been reported in South Korea.

Even as the USA battles the Delta COVID strain, the country's administration said it aims to allow fully vaccinated travellers into the country in a "safe and sustainable manner."

(With inputs from ANI)