Coronavirus: Fauci calls Republican ?overhyping? claim ?preposterous?

Dismissing as "preposterous" a Republican senator's claim he is "overhyping" Covid-19 as he did HIV and Aids, Dr Anthony Fauci said on Sunday the threat to the US from the Omicron variant remained to be determined - but that signs from South Africa, where the variant emerged, were encouraging.

"Thus far - though it's too early to really make any definitive statements about it - it does not look like there's a great degree of severity to it.

"But we have really got to be careful before we make any determinations that [Omicron] is less severe or it really doesn't cause any severe illness comparable to Delta. But, thus far, the signals are a bit encouraging regarding the severity. But, again, you got to hold judgment until we get more experience."

Fauci's evident caution stood at odds with the bizarre and cavalier accusation made by the Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson.

Fauci, 80, has been head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or Niaid, since 1984, serving seven presidents. His work on Aids and HIV earned him the presidential medal of freedom from George W Bush.

In an interview with the Guardian last year, Fauci said: "My career and my identity has really been defined by HIV. Because I've been in a very unique position of now being one of the very, very few people who were there from the very first day."

H Clifford Lane, a longtime Fauci deputy, said: "There are so many ways in which the experience of going through HIV/Aids has helped prepare him for what he's dealing with now. Brand-new disease, no treatment, no cure."