Anthony Fauci, the largest infectious disease expert in the United States, said that recent data from the British government indicate that a new, more virulent strain of the coronavirus is also more lethal, but US officials need to check these numbers themselves.
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Fauci: “We should now assume that” the British virus strain may “cause more damage”
Margaret Brennan of CBS asked about his previous statement that although the strain is more contagious, it is clearly not lethal. That’s where we get information. “
The newer #COVID STRAIN? Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, told @margbrennan that recent UK data may indicate that the new #covid19 strain is more deadly, but “we want to check the data ourselves”
Watch -> pic.twitter.com/jzbTyaZAIX
-Face the Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 24, 2021
Fauci added: “When British investigators looked more closely at the death rate of a certain age group, they found that the death rate was one in a thousand… and then it rose to 1.3 for a certain age group.” “This is a huge Growth. So the latest figures are consistent with what the British said. We want to see these figures for ourselves, but we have good reasons to believe them. They are a very capable organization.”
Fauci continued that Americans “have to assume now that the predominant epidemic in the UK does indeed increase what we call virulence, the ability of the virus to cause more harm, including death.”
Fauci separately mentioned another strain believed to have originated in South Africa, stating that “in some cases [the strain] Reduced the effectiveness of the vaccine”, but the vaccine is still generally effective.
Viral mutation: Dr. Anthony Fauci told @margbrennan that the #Covid19 variant found in South Africa has “negative effects” on certain antibody therapies.
In some cases, it “reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine,” but he emphasized that the vaccine is still effective for all patients. pic.twitter.com/u7u4pl2ckO
-Face the Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 24, 2021
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