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Virus experts blasted an “alarmist” article warning of an “apocalyptic” COVID-19 variant that could be worse than Delta.
Doctors highlighted the vaccine’s effectiveness against the virus and noted that vaccine manufacturers can quickly adjust formulations to make vaccines more effective against the variants, Fox News reported.
Their comments follow a Newsweek Magazine article that claimed the Delta variant had “shattered” optimism that vaccines would help the pandemic subside.
The Newsweek magazine article asked, “Is there a variant of Doomsday that ignores vaccines, spreads like wildfire, and leaves more of its victims much sicker than anything we’ve seen yet?”
“The chances are not high that we see such a triple threat, but experts cannot rule it out,” the article read.
Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist, warned that “the next variant could be Delta on steroids”
A Newsweek Magazine article claimed the Delta variant had ‘shattered’ optimism that vaccines would help slow the pandemic, while warning of a possible ‘doomsday variant’
The Newsweek Magazine article appears to be drawing a number of conclusions, including that the pandemic will continue to worsen and may stay “forever” – while continuing to mutate.
“The next variant could be Delta on steroids,” warned Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist.
Osterholm, who heads the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, added that because of the Delta variant, “the number of intensive care beds needed could be higher than ever before.”
He said an analysis by his team shows that every American who has not yet been vaccinated or who has had the disease, around 100 million people, will likely get it in the coming months.
Preeti Malani, physician and infectious disease researcher and health officer at the University of Michigan, told the outlet that “vaccines are the key and vaccine reluctance is the hurdle” to overcoming the pandemic .
“It will be very difficult to prevent this from happening with masks and social distancing at this point,” said Malani.
Aaron Glatt, chairman of the Mount Sinai South Nassau Department of Medicine, told Fox News that “everything in this article is correct,” but said the differences of opinion focused on the likelihood of the possibilities discussed in the article. from Newsweek Magazine.
“We don’t know what the next variant will be,” said Glatt.
“We have an idea of some of the strains that are spreading around the world, but which will come to the United States or which will become predominant in different parts of the world, Lambda or some of the others, is really unknown.”
However, Dr Tracy Beth Høeg categorically rejected the Newsweek Magazine article and condemned the “dangerous and destructive game” journalists engage in “constantly speculating on the worst possible scenarios”.
Høeg – epidemiologist and associate researcher at the University of California at Davis – told Fox News Americans “have every reason to be optimistic.”
“That phrase ‘Delta has now shattered that optimism’ is not appropriate. I would indeed view that fear as a fear,” Høeg said.
“Epidemiologists and infectious disease physicians should continue to study the variants, but it is not necessary (or healthy in my opinion) for the public to be concerned about the worsening of the variants.”
Map shows total number of US cases and deaths amid coronavirus pandemic
A graph shows the total number of deaths per day since the start of the coronavirus pandemic
Graph shows total number of COVID-19 deaths per day in July and August
A graph shows the total number of infections per day since the start of the coronavirus pandemic
A graph shows the total number of COVID-19 infections per day in July and August
Dr. Marc Siegel, professor at NYU Langone Medical Center, suggested that vaccines prevent the emergence of such an ‘doomsday variant’ by reducing the risk of COVID-19 to propagate and mutate.
“It’s not like a lethal version of it is going to compete and beat the Delta variant; the only thing that could replace the delta variant is the one that is more contagious, ”said Siegel.
“I don’t see that changing enough, so it suddenly re-infects everyone who has had it and escapes the vaccine.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson recently made statements expressing that organizations remain convinced that vaccines can protect against variants of COVID-19.
The CDC noted that all licensed vaccines have been shown to be 65% to 95% effective in preventing lab-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 – and more than 89% effectiveness against the coronavirus severe enough to require hospitalization.
While some groundbreaking cases are possible, health officials have continued to tell Americans that vaccines dramatically reduce the spread of COVID-19 – even against the Delta variant.
Dr Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician at the University of California at San Francisco, conceded to Fox News that COVID-19 could never be eliminated due to its high transmissibility.
But she noted: “We can control the virus, which can ultimately cause mild symptoms in a small fraction of those vaccinated, and outbreaks of severe disease in those who have yet to receive vaccines.”
The Newsweek magazine article noted that the World Health Organization was already monitoring several mutations beyond Delta.
The Eta and Iota variants – as well as the Kappa variant that appeared in India as the Delta variant – have all infected many countries.
Public health experts are particularly concerned about the Lambda variant and its “unusual success in infecting fully vaccinated people,” Newsweek magazine noted.
Lung disease specialist Dr Imran Sharief told Fox News “new variants will continue to emerge” until the United States achieves herd immunity, predicting the virus may lose its “potency” by “at least 2024”.
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