Data on severity of Omicron is 'a bit encouraging' thus far, White House's Fauci says

A top US health official said the evidence on the severity of the illness caused by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was a "bit encouraging" so far.

"Thus far, though it's too early to really make any definitive statements about it, thus far it does not look like it has a great degree of severity to it," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's chief medical adviser, told CNN's State of the Union programme on Sunday.

"We really need to be careful before we make any determinations that it less severe or really doesn't cause any severe illness comparable to Delta

"But thus far, the signals are a bit encouraging regarding the severity, but you have to withhold judgement until we get more experience."

Fauci also said that they felt certain that vaccine boosters would offer Americans "some degree or maybe a considerable degree of protection" against the Omicron variant.