Dr. Fauci says U.S. cases ‘going in the right direction,’ but urges caution

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the current COVID-19 wave that has been caused by the omicron variant seems to be peaking.

Fauci, who made the remarks on Sunday, still warned everyone to continue being cautious.

Generally speaking, “things are looking good,” Fauci said during an appearance on ABC’s This Week, but he still expressed some hesitation. “We don’t want to get overconfident, but they look like they’re going in the right direction right now.

He also said that the total number of coronavirus cases in the United States may fall to manageable levels in the next few weeks. In the next month or so, Fauci said the infection level could fall to an “area of control.” 

While infections will still be present, they would likely be fewer in number and far less severe. “They’re there, but they don’t disrupt society,” Fauci noted. “That’s the best-case scenario.”

In recent weeks, many countries, including South Africa, Israel, and the United Kingdom, have reported declines in omicron cases. New cases in the United States also appear to be dropping, especially in the Northeast, New England, and Upper Midwest regions. Some Southern and Western states, though, are still seeing some increases. 

“But if the pattern follows the trend that we’re seeing in other places such as the Northeast, I believe that you will start to see a turnaround throughout the entire country,” the top doctor said. He added, “there may be a bit more pain and suffering with hospitalizations in those areas of the country that have not been fully vaccinated or have not gotten boosters.”

But he did say that the nation should still remain alert for the “worst-case scenario,” like a new variant that could be highly contagious or cause severe disease. “I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but we have to be prepared.”