Dr. Michael Osterholm Says He’s Concerned U.S. Is Facing a Fourth Wave of Covid
Infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Osterholm warned that the United States faces a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic due to covid variants that have been detected around the country.
Osterholm appeared on Fox News Sunday, where Chris Wallace pressed him over the mixed messaging the Biden administration put out while the country has seen a new uptick in covid cases. Wallace began by asking about CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky’s recent dire warning about a possible new wave.
“Dr. Walensky was being a truth-teller. What she said is exactly right scientifically,” Osterholm answered. “What we’re doing in terms of our response to this virus is, in fact, a major challenge right now. So I congratulate her for her honesty with the public.”
Osterholm continued to warn of the pitfalls America faces if it keeps opening up instead of shutting down again like other countries did to stop the B.1.1.7 variant from spreading. When Wallace asked him about the virus spiking up in parts of the country that haven’t relaxed mask mandates, he argued that coronavirus’ viral trends demonstrate a “cycle of regional activity,” and “it won’t be long” before it has a chance of sweeping across the country once more.
“So are we in a fourth wave right now?” Wallace asked.
“Well, I believe we are,” Osterholm answered. “And I believe that in some ways we’re almost in a new pandemic. The only good news about this is that the current vaccines are effective against this particular variant, B.1.1.7. But in a sense, this is a virus that is now 50 to 100 percent more transmissible or infectious than the previous viruses. This is a virus that causes 50 to 60 percent more severe illnesses.”
After Osterholm spoke of the variant’s deadliness and infection rates, he suggested that country might need to consider renewed mask mandates and another period of lockdown to get the virus under control.
I understand the absolute resistance in this country even to consider that. And, you know, it’s like of like trying to drink barbed wire. But the bottom line message is, the virus is going to do what it’s going to do and we’re going to have to respond somehow… Nobody was wrong in trying to get schools reopened. Now we have new data that says this virus is a game-changer So I think we are all going to be looking carefully at what to do.
Wallace again called out the CDC’s “mixed messaging” on public safety guidelines since they just announced that fully vaccinated people are clear to travel.
“As somebody [who’s] gotten fully vaccinated, I don’t know how to make sense of that,” Wallace said. “If you’re fully vaccinated, is it safe to get on an airplane or not?”
Osterholm acknowledged this as a “very fair critique,” conceding “We do have a problem right now, from a public health messaging standpoint, trying to nuance that message.” He continued to explain that fully vaccinated people have a lot of protection, “but it’s not perfect, it’s not 100 percent.”
“All we’re trying to do is get through this surge of cases that are going to occur over the next six to eight to ten weeks,” he said. “Nobody wants to be the person to die three days before they were supposed to get their covid shot. That’s what we’re trying to avoid right now.”
Watch above, via Fox News Sunday
