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Not over yet? US may witness another rise in Covid cases, predicts Dr Anthony Fauci

WION Web Team
WashingtonUpdated: Mar 18, 2022, 03:10 PM IST
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File photo of Dr Anthony Fauci. Photograph:(Reuters)

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On the same day, Biden announced that Jeff Zients would be replaced by Dr Ashish Jha as COVID-19 response coordinator. Jha is the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health

Covid is not over yet. Dr Anthony Fauci, who is US President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, has said that the country may witness another spike in coronavirus cases.  

Fauci has said there will be a need for people to get a fourth dose of Covid vaccines. On Thursday, Fauci briefed House Democrats on the issue.   

On the same day, Biden announced that Jeff Zients would be replaced by Dr Ashish Jha as COVID-19 response coordinator. Jha is the dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health.  

“I would predict that we are going to see a bit of an increase, or at least a flattening out and plateauing of the diminution of cases. And the question is, how do we deal with that?" Fauci told Bloomberg.  

As per Fauci, three factors are fueling the rise in cases in Europe and the United Kingdom, which has already been seen in the United States: the BA.2 "stealth" subvariant of Omicron, diminishing protection from the vaccines administered and loosened restrictions.   

"Sooner or later, we will need a fourth. We are obviously going in the right direction. We have to be really careful and not declare total victory prematurely. I do believe we will be able to settle into a degree of normality,” Fauci said.   

(With inputs from agencies)