Dr. Fauci Says Unvaccinated
People Could Cause, Vaccine-Resistant
Variant to Develop.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke to ‘USA Today’ over
the weekend about the latest COVID-19 developments. .
When asked about the “limbo of a partially
vaccinated population,” Dr. Fauci said it’s causing
a “smoldering level of infection.”.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, to 'USA Today'
, "If you don't [get an overwhelming
majority of the population
vaccinated], you will get a
smoldering level of infection
that will just go right into the
fall, get confused with influenza
in the winter, and then come
back again in the spring.".
Dr. Fauci said unvaccinated people, even if they’re
“young and healthy,” are a “vehicle for the virus.” .
This ability for the virus to move from person-to-person
could eventually lead to “mutation” of the virus, which in turn
could cause a "variant" to form. .
Dr. Anthony Fauci, to 'USA Today'
, "If you become the vehicle for
the virus to go from you to
someone else to someone
else, you are helping to
propagate the virus ...
if you allow the virus to
freely replicate chronically
in society, it will mutate.".
The U.S. is currently dealing with a surge in COVID-19
cases due to the highly transmissible Delta variant.
Like Delta, that mutation could cause an even more
serious “variant” with “real functional consequence.” .
Dr. Fauci said it was “conceivable” that a variant could
form that is able to “[elude] the protection of the vaccine.” .
Dr. Anthony Fauci, to 'USA Today'
, "What happens if over months
and months and months you
allow the virus to replicate, it is
conceivable, not guaranteed,
but conceivable, that we could
get a variant that eludes the
protection of the vaccine."