Fauci says omicron cases ‘going straight up,’ but peak could come soon

Dr. Anthony Fauci said the new year is bringing bad news as the supercontagious omicron variant powers a “vertical spike” in COVID cases.

But even as omicron drives the worst caseloads of the entire pandemic, the famed pandemic doctor believes the wave could peak quickly.

“Cases are not going up gradually; they are going straight up,” Fauci told WPIX TV on Monday. “What we are hoping is you reach a peak, and the cases come down rather quickly.”

The meteoric rise, followed by a rapid decline in omicron cases is what doctors experienced in South Africa, where the new strain was first identified in late November.

Despite being much more contagious, omicron appears to cause less severe disease for the vaccinated than previous strains of COVID. And those who survive it will have some refreshed protection from other forms of the circulating virus.

That’s an excellent sign for eventually getting the pandemic under control, but first, the U.S. will have to endure a rough few weeks or more.

“The promising news is we have the tools to get out of it sooner than later,” Fauci said.

Following significant pushback by medical personnel last week, Fauci defended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Dec. 27 guidance allowing reduced isolation restrictions for people infected with COVID-19 or who have come in close contact with a COVID-positive person.

The CDC quarantine period was shortened from 10 days to five days if they are no longer experiencing symptoms or running a fever. Once out of isolation, they’re asked to wear a mask for the next five days when around others.

Fauci said the CDC is considering requiring a negative test by asymptomatic people or those who have been in close contact before being allowed to leave isolation.

Along with evolving clinical science about how long COVID patients stay contagious, he cited the need to avoid a collapse of essential services if millions of workers are sidelined.

“You got to make sure that society remains functional,” he said. “You try to strike a balance.”