The U.S. is unlikely to face a fourth wave of coronavirus, but is likely to see case figures before they continue to decline, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Sunday in “Face the Nation.” of the ABC.
Why it’s important: Gottlieb noted that there are still many unanswered questions about new variants of COVID-19 that could pose problems on the road.
What they say: Gottlieb said a plateau in case the numbers could be fueled by the spread of new variants, such as variant B. 1,526 of New York, variant South African, B.1.351 and variant of United Kingdom, B.1.1 .7, in addition to reducing security restrictions.
- “I don’t think we have a fourth wave. I think what we’re seeing all over the country are parts of the country that are spreading and we’re seeing rises in certain parts of the country.”
- “I think what you might see is a plan for a period of time before continuing with a downward decline, in large part because B.1.1.7 is becoming more frequent, in large part because we are going back too fast with respect to removing mask us and lift mitigation “.
But, but, but: Gottlieb said questions remain about the variants themselves.
- “What we don’t understand with 1,526 is whether or not it is being re-infected with people and whether people who could have been vaccinated are now being infected or not.”
- “One of the concerns about this particular variant is that it has this mutation that is also found in the South African variant, in variant B.1.351, which we know is in some cases causing people who have already had coronavirus to be reinfect with it. “
The big picture: Gottlieb said the U.S. needs to start tracking COVID-19 case variants more closely.
- “We need to intervene much more aggressively and start sequencing cases, especially people who report that they have already been previously vaccinated or already have COVID.”