Pouch: "Stealth Omicron, Highly Contagious but Not Severe"

"Stealth Omicron, Containable by COVID Vaccine and Immunity After Infection"

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

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), predicted that although the so-called Stealth Omicron (BA.2), a sub-lineage variant of Omicron, is gaining strength, it will not cause a large-scale outbreak.

On the 22nd (local time), at an event hosted by the U.S. daily newspaper The Washington Post (WP), Dr. Fauci said, "I would not be surprised if (cases) rebound," but added, "I do not expect a sharp surge unless something dramatically changes."

He forecasted that if COVID-19 cases rebound, the causes would likely be ▲an increase in the highly transmissible Stealth Omicron variant ▲relaxation of mask mandates ▲waning immunity.

Earlier, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that from the 13th to the 19th, 34.9% of COVID-19 patients in the U.S. were infected with the Stealth Omicron variant. Although it is not yet the dominant strain, its proportion increased by more than 10 percentage points compared to the previous week (22.3%). In other words, one out of three new confirmed cases is a Stealth Omicron infection.

Regarding the Stealth Omicron variant, Dr. Fauci said, "Its transmissibility is about 50-60% higher than the original Omicron, but cases have not been severe," and evaluated that "it is at a level that can be prevented by vaccines or immune responses after infection."

Meanwhile, Dr. Leana Wen, professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, also stated that the Stealth Omicron variant does not seem to cause more severe illness than Omicron.

Through CNN, she said, "Stealth Omicron will undoubtedly lead to another increase in COVID-19 infections in the U.S.," but added, "I do not think that means we need to reinstate public health restrictions."