Coronavirus Update: Fauci Predicts Omicron Variant Will Reach Peak In February

Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that he is confident the level of COVID-19 infections fueled by the Omicron variant in the U.S. will reach a peak by mid-February in most states.

During an appearance on the ABC News program, “This week,” Fauci admitted he was hopeful about the Omicron variant reaching its peak but did not rule out an unexpected outcome.

“You never want to be overconfident when you’re dealing with this virus,” Fauci said. “But if you look at the patterns that we’ve seen in South Africa, in the U.K., and in Israel ... they have peaked and [are] starting to come down rather sharply.”

He added that, “things are looking good. We don’t want to get overconfident, but they look like they’re going in the right direction right now.”

Despite the optimistic outlook, Fauci noted there is still an increase in Omicron infections due to the “varying” levels of vaccination around the country.

“There may be a bit more pain and suffering with hospitalizations in those areas of the country that have not been fully vaccinated or have not gotten boosters,” he said.

However, the data obtained from other areas like the Northeast has led Fauci to believe the country will eventually see a turnaround in infection rates.

Ultimately, Fauci hopes the level of infection gets to what he considers an “area of control” and future variants won’t disrupt life.

“Control means you’re not eliminating it, you’re not eradicating it, but it gets down to such a low level, that it’s essentially integrated into the general respiratory infections that we have learned to live with.”

However, Fauci noted scientists are still researching whether another booster will be necessary to further protect Americans against COVID-19.