The new Omicron coronavirus variant, which has been detected in several countries in the last one week, will inevitably spread widely across the world, including the US, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a press conference addressing US media on Monday. Dr Fauci, who was explaining the technical details with regard to Omicron variant and the US readiness to face it, said; “It’s inevitable that, sooner or later, it’s going to spread widely because it has at least the molecular characteristics of being highly transmissible, even though there are a lot of things about it that we do not know but will be able to ascertain in the next week or two.”

Despite the unknowns, Fauci said, vaccinated people seem to be faring better against the new variant than unvaccinated people. Those who have received booster doses appear to be doing even better, he added.