Expect an uptick in COVID-19 cases in US due to new BA.2 variant, warns Fauci

Indian-origin US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday expressed concern over the lack of funding to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

A highly contagious sub-variant of Omicron variant of COVID-19, known as BA.2, could soon lead to another uptick in coronavirus cases in the US, the country’s top infectious disease expert has warned.

White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said the subvariant is estimated to account for around 30% of all new cases in the US, and is also the most dominant variant in the country, CNBC reported on Sunday.

Dr Fauci said BA.2 is about 60% more transmissible than Omicron, but it does not appear to be more severe.

“It does have an increased transmission capability,” Dr Fauci said on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “However, when you look at the cases, they do not appear to be any more severe and they do not appear to evade immune responses either from vaccines or prior infections,” he explained.

Dr Fauci said that vaccines and booster shots remain the best means to prevent serious illness from the virus.

The variant has already caused a surge in cases in China and parts of Europe.