Mutations of the Omicron strain in infected people began to be detected more often. Experts do not exclude the appearance in Russia of another wave of COVID-19 and the return of some restrictions. Medical students who have volunteered in the fight once morest COVID-19 will receive additional points when they are accepted into residency.
Waves of coronavirus are no longer considered, in Russia they also do not exclude another rise in the incidence, as is happening now in the world – new strains turned out to be more contagious than their “progenitor” omicron. And if the death rate drops to the level of the beginning of a pandemic, the incidence remains at the border of 2.7 thousand to 3.5 thousand infected. The number of deaths was recorded from 43 to 52 deaths per day. In total, from Monday to Friday, 15,515 infected people were announced in Russia, according to the data of the operational headquarters for the prevention of the importation and spread of a new coronavirus infection in the Russian Federation. The total number of infected in Russia since the beginning of the pandemic has reached 18,455,274 people, of which 381,499 have died.
In the Lipetsk region, the number of those who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 was recorded from Monday to Friday from 37 to 40 infected per day. The number of deaths since the beginning of infection in the region amounted to 3794 people. In total, 153,058 cases of coronavirus infection have been detected in the region since the beginning of the epidemic.
The incidence of COVID-19 last week remained at the same level as the week before, Rospotrebnadzor said. At the same time, the share of new omicron mutations among detected cases has doubled – from 3.69% to 6.57%. The superiority is held by the stealth-omicron strain – 83.21%, the “delta” accounted for 1.28% of cases, the original “omicron” – 8.94%. The average Russian incidence rate was exceeded in 37 regions, TASS reports.
A new wave of morbidity in the world is associated with regular mutations of the “omicron”. A new wave of morbidity has not yet reached Russia, but its appearance cannot be ruled out – such an opinion was expressed in an interview with Izvestia by a virologist, chief researcher at the Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology. N.F. Gamalei Anatoly Altshtein. Altstein recalled that at the end of January and February, the world was faced with a very serious outbreak of Omicron. By the beginning of March, the incidence had fallen, and then began to grow once more due to a new subspecies of this strain, BA.2. However, according to the virologist, the rise may be small, because the virus as a whole is weakening. President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Alexander Sergeev told TASS that Russia is ready to overcome the new wave that might come to us from Europe – scientists and doctors have already accumulated the necessary experience. But it’s too early to say that the pandemic has ended, said Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Education, Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences Gennady Onishchenko – confirmation of this is the increase in new cases of coronavirus infection in the world, RIA Novosti reports.
Virus mutations continue – in June, a new subspecies BA.2.75 began to spread in India, now it is already registered in 10 countries (it has not yet been identified in Russia). It may have the highest infectiousness compared to all the previous ones, Albert Rizvanov, director of the scientific and clinical center for precision and regenerative medicine at the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, told Izvestia. “If the new strain is slightly more contagious than Omicron, it will be on par with measles in infection success,” the scientist explained. Scientists have proposed reasons why the re-infection of new strains is severe in some cases. “The new strains are genetically significantly different from the original variants of SARS-CoV-2. As a result, the S-protein, to which antibodies should react, has become less recognizable for them, ”explained Roman Zinovkin, head of the laboratory at the Research Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology of Moscow State University, to Izvestia. Another reason for severe re-infection may be weakened by the first disease immunity.
The incidence of COVID-19 in Russia may increase in the summer. Possible reasons may be new variants of the virus and a gradual weakening of the immunity of those who have long been vaccinated or recovered, says the head of the Yekaterinburg Research Institute of Viral Infections of the Federal Budgetary Institution of State Research Center of VB “Vector” of Rospotrebnadzor, Doctor of Biological Sciences Alexander Semenov, reports TASS. The proportion of new strains of coronavirus is constantly increasing, he stressed. Omicron options BA.4 and BA.5 replace the BA.2 line. According to the expert, this is a normal evolution, and vaccination remains the main preventive measure. Allergist-immunologist Vladimir Bolibok, in an interview with Ura.ru, expressed the opinion that two waves are expected in Russia in the near future – in summer and autumn. He connects the summer rise in the incidence with a reduction in herd immunity, which has fallen noticeably. And in September, those who were ill in February-March can become infected – by this time their post-infectious immunity will also begin to weaken. According to the doctor, an active revaccination program is now needed.
Anti-COVID restrictions may return in the fallif a new wave of morbidity begins in the country. So says the senator, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation Vladimir Krugly, RIA Novosti reports. So, if the situation develops unfavorably, the mask regime, restrictions on the number of people in enclosed spaces may return. The doctor called vaccination the only method of preventing infection, its mild course. Chief Researcher, National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named following N.F. Gamalei Anatoly Alshtein suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic will still end by the end of 2022, Izvestia reports.
Russia relaxes some rules for those who entered the country, according to RIA Novosti. So, the Russians who arrived in the country, following passing the test for COVID-19, will no longer have to self-isolate until the result is received. In addition, those who have had COVID-19 in the past or have been vaccinated will not have to fill out a questionnaire at public services and take a test upon returning to the country. Volunteer work will earn additional points for medical students upon admission to residency – upon admission, they will be awarded 20 points for individual achievement. The press service of the Ministry of Health explained that this rule will apply to all institutions of higher education, TASS reports.
