Fauci optimistic Omicron cases in US to peak in February

WASHINGTON - Anthony Fauci, top US infectious disease expert, said Sunday he is confident that most states in the country will reach a peak of Omicron infection cases by mid-February.

"You never want to be overconfident when you're dealing with this virus," Fauci said in an interview with ABC.

"Things are looking good. We don't want to get overconfident, but they look like they're going in the right direction right now," he said.

Fauci said there are states in the northeast and in the upper midwest where cases have already peaked and declined "rather sharply." But cases are still rising in southern and western states.

"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 warned.

The recent COVID-19 surge in the United States driven by the Omicron variant is leading to record high cases, hospitalizations, and critical shortages of healthcare staffs.

The country has recorded over 70 million COVID-19 cases and nearly 866,000 deaths as of Sunday afternoon, according to real-time data from Johns Hopkins University.