A Variant Stronger Than Delta Is Coming

Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min, Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), warned of the possibility of an ultra-strong variant of the COVID-19 virus emerging. Despite requests from the World Health Organization (WHO), he also announced plans to administer booster shots starting with immunocompromised groups.

In an interview on the 5th (local time), Dr. Fauci said, "A new variant could be more dangerous than the Delta variant, which has 1,000 times more viral load compared to previous strains, potentially putting the U.S. in a difficult situation." He added, "If we give it a chance, another variant will emerge. This is why we aim to completely suppress the virus in the community," urging vaccination.

He also predicted that there could be 100,000 to 200,000 new infections per day. According to Johns Hopkins University data, as of the 4th, the U.S. is experiencing an average of 94,000 new cases per week. Along with the increase in new cases due to the Delta variant, vaccination rates are also rising. According to the White House, 860,000 people were vaccinated within 24 hours, the largest number since July.

◆ Booster Shots Gain Momentum = On the previous day, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged all countries to postpone booster shots until at least the end of September to ensure that 10% of each country's population can be vaccinated. Meanwhile, Dr. Fauci mentioned the necessity of booster shots.

At a White House COVID-19 response team press conference that day, he said, "It is very important to administer booster shots to immunocompromised individuals. Two doses may not provide sufficient protection for them."

In fact, the U.S. is expected to announce booster shot plans as early as next month. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials saying, "The FDA is expected to develop a strategy by early next month on who among the vaccinated should receive booster shots and when."

The target groups for booster shots are expected to be seniors aged 65 and older, immunocompromised individuals, and those vaccinated early in December last year or January this year. A source told WSJ, "Since these groups may need booster shots as early as this month, we are pushing for a swift announcement of the booster shot strategy."

Following Pfizer, Moderna also emphasized the need for booster shots. Moderna CEO St?phane Bancel stated that "people who have received two doses of the vaccine are expected to need a third dose in the fall to be protected against variant viruses."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

◆ Amazon Delays Return to Office Until Next Year = Amid the spread of the Delta variant, U.S. companies are postponing their return-to-office plans one after another. According to CNBC and others, Amazon has decided to delay its office return date to January next year. This is nearly a four-month delay from the original date of August 7 due to the spread of the Delta variant. Considering that Google, Apple, and Microsoft postponed their returns by about a month from September to October, Amazon appears to anticipate a prolonged spread of the variant virus.

In the U.S., following the IT industry, financial firms are also postponing their office returns one after another. Wells Fargo Bank has delayed its employees' return to the office from September 7 to October 4. BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm, notified its employees that they will be allowed to choose whether to return to the office by October 1.