Anthony Fauci said it was too early to talk about restrictions in the US for the Omicron variant but cautioned: “You have to prepare for everything.”

On Sunday, the head of the US Department of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Americans should prepare for the spread of the new type of COVID-19, the micron, but it was still too early to determine what actions were needed, including potential restrictions.

The United States should do what is necessary in the event of an alternative, but Fauci told ABC News it’s “too early to tell” if we need new restrictions or restrictions.

“As I have said many times, you should prepare for the worst case scenario. Be prepared to do anything and everythingHe added. Regarding a possible incarceration, he indicated that he would have to wait for new information to make decisions based on science and evidence.

The new omicron variant, first discovered in South Africa and announced in recent days, has been detected in an increasing number of countries.

Fauci, in an interview with NBC News On Saturday he said that It was likely already in the US, although no cases have been confirmed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s here and we haven’t discovered it yet. When you have a virus that is easily transmitted and there are already cases in other countries as a result of travel, it will almost always end up everywhere,” he explained.

For travelers, the specialist recommended vaccination and wearing masks indoors to avoid infection. In addition, he considered that closing the borders would not guarantee that this would prevent the entry of the surrogate into the country.

US health authorities They will talk to their South African colleagues about the alternative again later on Sunday, in another interview with ABC News’ This Week.

The discovery of this new variant from South Africa worries the scientific community because it presents a mixture of more than 30 mutations, although some of them have already been observed in other variants, such as beta, this is the first time they have been seen together.

Fears of this new strain have led many countries around the world, including those in the European Union, to shut down air traffic from southern African countries, particularly South Africa and Botswana.

The United States, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Canada, Austria and Israel are some of the countries that have temporarily suspended travel or announced that they will impose restrictions.

(With information from Reuters and EFE)

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