“It also means we need to pay attention to mitigation strategies where people are actually getting sick, like wearing a mask while staying indoors with others who may not be vaccinated and social distancing. “, he added. “We had to use every kind of tool in our toolbox to keep (Omicron) from getting into a situation that would make this worse.”
The Omicron coronavirus strain is of interest to scientists because of the variant’s significant number of mutations that could make it more contagious than the original novel coronavirus, health experts say. It is not yet known whether the three vaccines currently available for use in the US are effective against the new strain, but vaccine manufacturers say they are working to find out the impact of Omicron on their products. surname.
“We’ll have better information on this,” Collins said Sunday. “But there’s no reason to panic. But it’s a great reason to increase strength.”
Echoing what other experts have said in recent days, Collins predicts that it is “very likely” that Omicron cases will eventually appear in the US.
“We don’t have proof that that happens (here now). So I’m on the fence about that. We’ll find out, because (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) disease in the United States) is reviewing tens of thousands of virus isolates every week,” he said.
Meanwhile, the US is still suffering from a rise in the Delta variant – a variant that the CDC has said is as contagious as chickenpox. According to Johns Hopkins University, the average number of daily deaths is more than 1,000 people and hospitalizations in 16 states have increased by more than 50% in the past week compared to the previous week, the US Department of Health and Human Services said. know.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson noted Sunday that the Delta surge “has been hard on” his status, saying the Omicron variant is a concern that should prompt more people to get vaccinated.
“Obviously we have to get more information. But let’s use this moment to be better prepared by increasing our vaccination rates,” Hutchinson, a Republican, told Bash in a statement. Private interview on “State of the Union”. “Our vaccination rates are going up, so I’m much more optimistic about getting through this winter. But, obviously, a new variant is a concern.”
Arkansas is among the 10 states in the US with the lowest vaccination rates.
‘Everything is on the table’
Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said Sunday that air travel “will continue to be safe” for vaccinated people “following the appropriate recommendations”. fit”.
“Going to the airport, at the airport in a crowded scene, people taking off their masks. It’s an issue where we have to make sure that we adhere to it more closely and more firmly,” he told NBC. Meet the Press.” But Fauci, who serves as Biden’s chief medical adviser, declined to say whether he thinks the United States should mandate the use of vaccines for air travel.
“I’m not going to make any statements about what we should have about the travel vaccination mission,” he said. “We know that we evaluate these things literally in real time all the time. You know, everything is discussed and everything is on the table.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
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