Dr Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that the British variant of the coronavirus appears to be more lethal, but what it means for the effectiveness of the vaccine is still unknown.
The British strain has been widely reported to be a more contagious strain of the coronavirus, but experts have warned that it is not a more deadly variant.
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New data suggests the variant is indeed more deadly, which Fauci discussed during an appearance Sunday on CBS ‘”Face the Nation.”
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, attends a Coronavirus Task Force news conference on Friday, April 10, 2020 at the White House in Washington, USA. Photographer: Kevin Dietsch / UPI / Bloomberg via Getty Images
“When the British investigators took a closer look at the mortality rate of a certain age group, they found that it was 1 per thousand, and it went up to 1.3 per thousand in a certain group, so it’s a significant increase, “Fauci told the host. Margaret Brennan.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday revealed that the new variant appears to be as much as 30% more virulent, based on mortality rates among patients 65 or older.
The British tribe has been traced within the US, with cases so far recorded in 22 states.
“We want to look at the data ourselves, but we have every reason to believe it,” Fauci said, referring to British medical professionals. “We’re going to look at this and follow it very, very closely, because these things are evolving.”
“We must now assume that what is predominant in the UK does have a certain increase in what we call virulence, namely the power of the virus to cause more damage, including death,” he added.
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The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has predicted that the British variant will be the dominant strain by March in March due to its more contagious nature.
Many are therefore concerned that the current vaccination attempt may be in vain, but Fauci warned that the effect on vaccine efficacy remains unknown. Even in the case of reduced efficiency, Fauci believes that its effect will be minimal.
“If we look at the effect of the chain, it seems that the descent of British descent in at least 20 states in the US the antibodies found by vaccines remain protective against the mutant strain,” Fauci explained. “It’s a very small reduction, but the pillow you have is so big that it has no negative effect.”
Fauci rather stressed the importance of continuing to vaccinate as many people as possible, arguing that re-vaccinating humans would help root out further mutations in the virus.
In addition, Fauci called for greater investment in ‘genomic surveillance’, which would help officials determine if and when new strains of the coronavirus enter the US.
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The tribe of South Africa has also expressed concern because it reduces the effectiveness of some antibody treatments.
So far no cases of the South African variant have been discovered within the USA