Former Assistant Secretary of State and Admiral for Health and Human Services Brett Giroir told CNN he agreed. President Biden’s Message People should be concerned about the Omicron version, but they shouldn’t panic.
When asked about Biden’s remarks, Giroir said, “I agree with that tone and that message.” “We should be worried … but we should not panic.”
“Our trial still works perfectly. There’s a very good chance that our vaccines will provide some immune protection, and I believe that by getting that booster, up your tank, your immune tank.” Upvote. It is very important to do this. Independent of Omicron, it is very important to get it only for Delta,” he said.
Asked about what is being observed in terms of what is known about Omicron, Giroir said, “We have no evidence that Omicron is more serious.”
Quoting comments from Angelique Coetzee, a doctor who treats Omicron patients, said Tuesday on CNN’s “New Day” that Most of the cases being seen are mild to moderate, Giroir said he would love to believe it – but it’s important to remember that the patients he treated were typically young.
“We don’t really know how Omicron is going to affect the elderly or people with chronic conditions,” he said. “So we don’t have any evidence that it’s worse, but I don’t want people to assume it’s just mild and we can blow it up.”
Giroir also said that the version is “likely to be here already. We don’t see it happening, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but, you know, we just need to keep calm.”
He reiterated that many things can be done including campaigning and immunization, getting home tests done, ensuring the safety of the elderly and wearing masks when appropriate.
Giroir said there are new oral antiviral drugs that “will be exactly as effective against Omicron as they are against others.” an antiviral, Merck. From, is being considered by US Food and Drug Administration advisers on Tuesday.
Oral antiviral drugs are “very important, powerful tools that will work against Omicron, Delta and all other types,” he said.
Giroir also said the US “absolutely” needs more testing. He said testing “fell off” in the middle of the summer and there was a lull in the production of antigen tests, though he thinks the administration is trying to reverse that.
One thing people can do, he said, is to do home tests in addition to getting a booster shot.
“I literally just went to Walmart yesterday and picked up two boxes of home tests to get my family ready and ready,” he said. “Everyone should be able to do that. And I think the federal government should send home tests to everyone who is in a low-service or low-risk community so they can get themselves tested.