Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief US infectious disease official, informed President Joe Biden on Sunday that it will take about two weeks to obtain more specific information about the transmissibility and other characteristics of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. A statement from the White House quoted Fauci as telling Biden that he still believes it is "likely that current vaccines will offer some degree of protection against severe infections" from COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Sunday that it is still unclear whether the "Omicron" variant is more contagious compared to previous variants of the virus or if it causes more severe illness.
The organization added, "Preliminary data suggest that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to the overall increase in the number of infections rather than specifically due to infection with the Omicron variant." Nevertheless, the WHO confirmed in a statement that initial evidence suggests a greater likelihood of reinfection with the variant. The organization clarified that it is working with technical experts to understand the potential impact of the variant on current COVID-19 preventive measures, including vaccines.
It stated, "There is currently no information to indicate that symptoms associated with the Omicron variant differ from those of other variants." It also mentioned that "initial infections recorded in university studies indicate that infection in younger individuals tends to be more moderate, but understanding the severity level of the Omicron variant will take days or several weeks."
