Fauci: Omicron spreading fast in US, but symptoms less severe than Delta | Video

Brooklyn, Dec 29 (EFE/EPA).- The Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly in the United States, with the number of new cases spiking by 60 percent in just one week, although authorities insist that it causes less severe illness than earlier strains and say that the isolation period may be reduced for those who contract it or come in contact with those who test positive.

The latest weekly average figure is for 240,400 new infections in the past seven days, 60 percent more than for the previous seven-day period, while hospitalizations have risen by 14 percent and deaths by 7 percent across the US, where almost 40 percent of the public have not gotten themselves vaccinated.

Although the figures do not seem encouraging at this time, the top epidemiologist for the Joe Biden administration, Dr. Anthony Fauci, on Wednesday expressed more optimism than on other occasions when he has publicly discussed the pandemic. (Camera: ÁNGEL COLMENARES).

SHOT LIST: PEOPLE QUEUE FOR A COVID-19 TEST IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, US.

Metadata

Date: 30/12/2021 12:00 (UTC)
Credit: EFE
Source: EPA
Topic: Health » Disease
Health
Type: Ready-to-use
Duration: 42 seconds
Reference: 7001132175
Relevance: Normal