COVID-19 is going to continue to change: Dr. Murthy
What's the story
Indian-American physician Vivek Murthy, 43, US President Joe Biden's pick for Surgeon General, on Sunday said that the deadly COVID-19 is going to "continue to change" and the country has to be ready to deal with the crisis, calling for better genomic surveillance and more investment in contact tracing. He is playing a key role in shaping the COVID-19 policy of the Biden administration.
Measures
Investment needed in treatment strategies than just vaccines
"As the virus is continuing to change, we have got to double down on public health measures, like masking and avoiding indoor gatherings," Dr. Murthy told ABC News' This Week. He also stressed the importance of investing in treatment strategies that have received a lot less attention than vaccines but are really important.
Quote
'We are in a race against these variants'
Dr. Murthy also expressed concern over the variants of the virus. "We are in a race against these variants. The virus is going to change. And it's up to us to adapt and to make sure that we're staying ahead," he said.
Mutation
'Mutations in viruses are not surprising'
However, he added, these changes and mutations are not surprising, because this is what viruses do, and we should expect it. "We know that the variant, not just the UK variant, but likely the South Africa variant, the Brazilian variant, P.1, are likely to be more transmissible," he said. Dr. Murthy added more data is required to understand how deadly the UK variant is.
Cases
The US is the worst-affected country by the virus
The US is the worst-affected by the virus and has seen more than 400,000 deaths so far. Meanwhile, Biden has set an ambitious target of 100 million COVID-19 vaccinations in the first 100 days of his administration. Dr. Murthy says that the goal is achievable with the supply they have, and they are anticipating supply from Pfizer and Moderna.
Details
Dr. Murthy's comment on President Joe Biden's vaccination goal
According to him, the goal of 100 million is a floor, not a ceiling. Dr. Murthy admitted that this goal is going to take a lot of work-dispelling disinformation, working on the supply, and increasing the distribution channel. But he believes that these plans, which were announced by Biden over the last week, are achievable.