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Two top U.S. health officials predicted on Tuesday that the majority of Americans will eventually be infected by the virus following a record number COVID-19 cases were confirmed.
“I think it’s hard to comprehend what’s happening at the moment, which is most people will get COVID,” FDA acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, MD, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee according to theThe Washington Post.
Woodcock was asked whether she thought the United States should change its COVID strategy. She stated that people must accept the reality of widespread infections, so that the nation can concentrate on ensuring “continuity in its operations” in critical areas.
“What we need to do is ensure that hospitals can continue to function as well as transportation, and you know other services that are essential are not disrupted when this is happening,” she said. “I believe that, after that, it is a great time to reassess our approach to this pandemic.”
Anthony Fauci, MD, chief White House medical adviser, said COVID could infect “just about everyone,” according to CNN.
Fauci stated that Omicron is, because of its extraordinary, unmatched efficiency of transmission, will eventually connect with just about every person in a live conversation with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“Those who were vaccinated or boosted would be exposed.” While some, maybe quite a few, may become infected, they’ll most likely not require hospitalization or death.
Fauci had been asked if the pandemic was entering a new phase. He suggested that this could occur if there is sufficient community protection and medications that can treat severe COVID. He said, “We might be on the edge” of that.
The U.S. reported 1.35 Million new COVID-19 patients Monday in the highest daily total of any country during the outbreak.
The U.S. set the previous record of 1 million cases on Jan. 3. A lot of states don’t keep their cases updated over the weekend, which is why Mondays see a large number of cases.
Sources
The Washington Post: “‘Most people are going to be coved”: A stern warning at the Senate hearing”
CNN. “The highly infectious Omicron variant will ‘find just about everybody,’ Fauci says however, those who have been vaccinated will be more protected”
