First detected last month in South Africa, the new Omicron strain of the coronavirus has been designated a “variant of concern” by both the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control. Dozens of countries have detected Omicron infections, and in the United States, at least 16 states have reported cases. While scientists are still in the early stages of researching the new variant, early reports suggest that while Omicron may have greater transmissibility than other variants due to its unique set of mutations, it causes less severe symptoms than other forms of the virus.

Dr. Marty Makary joins Marc and Dany to discuss the Omicron variant, the failure of the CDC, and the underappreciated strength of natural immunity.

Dr. Makary is a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Bloomberg School of Public Health and Carey Business School. He is the author of “The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care—and How to Fix It.”

Download the transcript here.