Officials wary of new COVID-19 surge as country relaxes

A new surge in COVID-19 infections in Europe has public health experts concerned the U.S. is not prepared to respond to a similar wave.

Much of the country has lifted the few remaining precautions after a sharp decline in cases. U.S. infections are at an eight-month low, but administration officials and health experts are keeping wary eyes on BA.2, the subvariant of omicron fueling the overseas spike. 

Europe has consistently been a window into America’s future throughout the pandemic. A widespread outbreak overseas is usually followed by one in the U.S. several weeks later.

The BA.2 version of omicron is not any more severe than the original omicron variant, but it is more transmissible. Combined with relaxed precautions like indoor masking and waning immunity among those who have not received a vaccine booster, experts said they are not surprised to see cases rising in Europe. 

Administration officials are monitoring the situation overseas carefully because the same conditions exist in the U.S.

“I would not be surprised if, in the next few weeks, we do see an uptick in cases,” White House chief medical adviser Anthony FauciAnthony FauciHealth Care — Fauci warns of cases rising again Fauci warns COVID-19 infection rates likely to increase The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Biden ruffles Russia’s feathers in ‘murderous dictator’ comments  MORE said in a Thursday PBS interview. “The really important issue is that, will that be manifested in an increase in severe disease that would lead to hospitalization?”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle WalenskyWe must not ‘tolerate’ the deaths of the nation’s most vulnerable Overnight Health Care — Scalise wants Fauci to testify Scalise calls for Fauci to testify at upcoming hearing MORE said the BA.2 version of omicron has been present in the U.S. since mid-December, but hasn’t had a chance to spread widely.

“So we aren’t seeing this massive takeoff of omicron, of BA.2, but we do anticipate that we will see more and more of it and it may become the predominant variant in the weeks ahead,” Walensky said Thursday during a panel discussion with the Bipartisan Policy Center.

For the week ending March 12, BA.2 accounted for 23.1 percent of all new coronavirus infections in the United States, according to CDC data, the largest percentage yet. 

Walensky said she is in touch with colleagues in Europe to discuss hospitalization trends and find out what they’re learning as the subvariant of omicron spreads.

“In terms of what we’re seeing in the U.K. and other countries, all of this is happening also while there’s waning immunity … but then also that the communities and population has opened up. They relaxed many of their mitigation strategies — as have we,” Walensky said.

The officials’ concerns take on additional urgency amid uncertainty about the future of the U.S. pandemic response. More than $15 billion in funding is stalled in Congress amid a political standoff, with no clear path forward. 

President BidenJoe Biden Defense & National Security​ — Biden sends new warning to China Energy & Environment — Interior to continue oil leasing plans Health Care —…