Omicron challenge will be met with science and speed: White House

United States will tackle COVID-19’s latest variant Omicron with “science and speed”, the White House COVID-⁠19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement came nearly an hour after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the country had reported its first case in California.

The statement read, “We are prepared to meet this challenge with science and speed.”

Also Read: New variant alert: How South African scientists found omicron

Building on the statements given by United States President Joe Biden earlier this week, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator said the “new variant is cause for continued vigilance, not panic.”

The statement read, “We will remain steadfast in our fight against this virus. And we will continue to be guided by the science and proven public health measures to keep people safe.”

The announcement of the first United States case comes before President Joe Biden plans to outline his strategy on Thursday to combat the virus over the winter. Biden has tried to quell alarm over the omicron variant, saying it was a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic.”

Also Read: Omicron may turn out to be deadlier than Delta, says South African scientist

According to the press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the unnamed individual who tested positive for the Omicron variant of coronavirus had travel history to South Africa and had been fully vaccinated against the deadly disease. Dr Anthony Fauci — Biden’s top advisor on matters related to the COVID pandemic– added that the person had not received the booster shot.

While speaking on vaccines, Zients said in the statement, “The President’s medical team continues to believe that existing vaccines will provide some level of protection against severe illness from Omicron, and individuals who have gotten boosters have even stronger protection.”