The launch of COVID vaccines and the latest reports on the decline of new cases have left many Americans at ease, optimistic that the end of the pandemic is coming. But this may just be an illusion, according to the latest news from the White House consultant COVID Anthony Fauci, MD. In a new interview with MSNBC, he warned that there is one thing that could make COVID’s situation worse again. Read on to find out what’s going on with Fauci and for more information from this infectious disease specialist, find out why Dr. Fauci says that doing this after being vaccinated is a big mistake.
During an interview on January 28 on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Fauci said there is good news on the COVID front because cases are “stagnating”. According The New York Times, new COVID cases in the country have decreased 34 percent in the past two weeks. However, Fauci said that this does not mean that things will necessarily remain that way. “I think it could potentially get worse,” he admitted. “What is problematic now, and what we really need to keep an eye on, are these variants.” And to learn more about the new variants, know that if you have these 4 symptoms, you can have the new COVID strain.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are warning of three prevalent new COVID strains: the United Kingdom variant (B.1.1.7), the South African variant (B.1.351) and the Brazilian variant (P.1) The strain of the United Kingdom is so far the most prevalent in the United States, but Fauci says he is more concerned with one in particular. “THE [variant] this is a major concern and can really be problematic is the mutant that is now dominant in South Africa, “he said.
All three variants appear to be more transmissible than previous strains, but the South African variant may also make vaccines and treatments less effective. According to the developer of the Moderna vaccine, a recent study showed that the South African strain caused a six-fold reduction in neutralizing antibodies created from its vaccine – meaning that the vaccine is still effective against the strain, but very less than it would be against other variants. And to find out more about where the UK variant is spreading so far, see This is the number of cases of the new strain in your state.
Although the South African strain may affect the vaccine’s effectiveness, Fauci said vaccine producers are already working on ways to get around it. “We are already planning and implementing, making a modified version of the vaccine, which in the end could be directed specifically against the South African isolate, which is the most problematic of all,” he said.
On January 25, Moderna announced that it was developing and testing a potential booster injection for the vaccine. “While we seek to defeat the COVID-19 virus, which created a worldwide pandemic, we believe that it is imperative to be proactive as the virus evolves,” CEO of Moderna Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. “With great caution and taking advantage of the flexibility of our mRNA platform, we are advancing an emerging variant reinforcement candidate against the variant first identified in the Republic of South Africa at the clinic to determine whether it will be more effective to increase the titers against this and potentially future variants. “And for more up-to-date COVID news sent directly to your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter.
Many of the concerns surrounding the South African strain were hypothetical, as the United States reported no cases of the variant in the country. However, he officially entered. On January 28, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced that it had detected the first two cases of the South African variant reported in the USA
“The arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 variant in our state is an important reminder to all South Carolinaians that the fight against this deadly virus is far from over,” said the DHEC Acting Director of Public Health. Brannon Traxler, MD, said in a statement. “Each of us must commit to the fight again, recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together.” And to learn more about what you can do to prevent it, find out why you should stop doing it immediately to avoid the new COVID strain, doctors warn.