Scientists worry virus variant may push up COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
LA TimesAfter about two months of falling COVID-19 cases, pandemic restrictions have been lifted across the U.S. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert, told ABC’s “This Week” over the weekend that he also thinks the U.S. will face an “uptick” similar to what’s happening in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where BA.2 is the dominant strain. It’s clear, she said, that BA.2 “is coming onto the scene.” One reason the variant has gained ground, scientists say, is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original Omicron. And experts point out that vaccination rates are lower in the U.S. than the U.K. About 74% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S., compared with 86% in the U.K. “We need to emphasize that we’re not protected in this country compared to peer countries,” Topol said. He called BA.2 “something we’re keeping an eye on,” but said, “I’m not losing sleep.” That’s how many scientists view another variant that some are calling “Deltacron,” a hybrid containing genetic information from both Delta and Omicron.