CDC director says US may see 'precipitous decline' in omicron cases like South Africa
ABC News
Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday sharp increases and quick declines in omicron cases may occur across the U.S. at different times.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Friday there is a good chance that the U.S. will follow the "ice-pick"-shaped curve of South Africa's omicron surge of the COVID variant, but cautioned that it could roll through different parts of the country at various times, as previous waves have.
"I do think in places that we are seeing this really steep incline, that we may well see also a precipitous decline, but we're also a much bigger country than South Africa," Walensky said in a briefing with reporters.
"And so it may very well be that we see this ice-pick shape, but that is it travels across the country," she said.
As far as the rapid spread of coronavirus cases contributing to that decline, Walensky said there was not yet conclusive data to say for sure that people who recovered from omicron would be protected against reinfection. The CDC is setting up studies to find out more, Walensky said.
