Fauci on new COVID-19 strain: 'I wouldn't be surprised if it has already reached US'

US top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci on December 21 that new COVID-19 variant linked to drastic surge of cases in UK has probably alrey reached United States. While talking to PBS' Newshour, director of National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease said that people have to “make that assumption” considering travel that was permitted throughout world and cases of new strain are hiked in UK, South Africa. refore, Fauci concluded that he would ‘t be surprised’ if variant has alrey reached US. 

“You have to make that assumption,” Fauci said. “When you see something that is pretty prevalent in a place like UK, re are also mutations that we're seeing in South Africa, and given travel throughout world, I would t be surprised if it's alrey here.”

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Furr US top infectious disease said ‘we’re going to find it’ indicating that medical professionals in United States will ‘run into’ new strain of vel coronavirus once y start looking for same. Even though variant is t a prevalent one unlike in UK but according to Fauci ‘sooner or later,’ doctors will find it. 

“Certainly it's t yet prevalent one, way it seems to have assumed that prevalent nature in UK, but we're going to be looking for it right w, and I'm sure sooner or later we're going to run into it and find it.”

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‘Most mutations have functional relevance’

Fauci also ted that mutations are common for viruses and most modifications “have functional relevance”. However, he ded that specific variant that can be found across UK might allow disease to spre more easily. chief medical viser for incoming Joe Biden ministration said that researchers are still looking into ability of new strain to spre which he assured has impact on deliness of virus.

“This one has a suggestion that it might allow virus to spre more reily...It doesn't make people more sick and it doesn't seem to have any impact on protective nature of vaccine that we're currently using,” he said.

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