Omicron cases in US likely to peak by January end, warns top medical expert Anthony Fauci

As the new COVID-19 variant Omicron is increasing throughout the world, the United States Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci stated that the number of cases of the 'highly mutated' coronavirus strain would likely surge by the end of January in the nation. While responding to the question, when asked about the peak of cases, Fauci told CNBC on Wednesday, “I would imagine, given the size of our country and the diversity of vaccination versus no vaccination, that it likely will be more than a couple of weeks, probably by the end of January, I would think.” 

According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on December 28, the Omicron strain was responsible for 58.6% of all new infections in the US in the week ending December 25. The Omicron strain, which was initially discovered in South Africa in November, is reported to be more transmissible but generates milder cases, according to public health experts. 

In addition to this, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky informed that the current seven-day daily average instances of the disease in the US are around 240,400 each day, up about 60% from the previous week. Further, depending on what the health agency now understands about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC has lowered the recommended duration for COVID-19 isolation from 10 days to 5 days on December 27. It is worth noting that only asymptomatic COVID-19 infections are covered by this regulation. When the patient's quarantine time ends, they must wear the mask for nearly 5 days, according to a statement released by the CDC on Monday. 

Fauci's Omicron warning in US

Meanwhile, according to Anthony Fauci, Americans should avoid large New Year's Eve festivities and start preparing for another round of COVID booster doses as well as testing. As the Omicron case is increasing, he said that people must avoid the 40 to 50-person New Year's Eve party, however, small house gatherings among vaccinated and boosted family members and friends can be allowed. 

Fauci has also urged that the Biden administration consider mandating the COVID-19 immunisation for domestic air travel, emphasising that "when you make vaccinations a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated," as per media reports. 

Further, more than 543,000 positive COVID-19 tests were reported in the United States on Monday alone, compared to a weekly average of over 266,000. As per Worldometers, over 54,656,866 Americans have been infected with Coronavirus, and over 844,272 people have died as a result of the disease. 

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