"British" strain of coronavirus discovered in Russia

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

For the first time, a "British" strain of coronavirus was discovered in Russia - A. Popova, who heads Rospotrebnadzor, said this in an interview with the Russia 1 TV channel. As in the first case, at the start of the pandemic, its source was a Russian citizen who visited the infection cluster. The latest news reported about it on the day of the end of the New Year holidays.

What is known about the "BRITISH" strain

In mid-December of the past year, the dominant topic in the news about the pandemic in the media was the report on the discovery of its mutated strain. In the south-east of England, a new type of RNA virus, already known for its sad statistics, was discovered, spreading faster than the asymptomatic protovirus.

It is characterized by a lightning-fast spread (70% faster than in the first case) and a more severe course.

What is important to know:

1. Research and identification have revealed a new mutation. Despite the name given to it for the localization of the increased spread, physicians and virologists have another version of its origin.
2. According to some assumptions, the new version was brought in by seasonal workers from Spain, where until recently there was a massive infection of the population, total quarantine measures and a high fatality index.
3. Despite the impressive statistics on the number of infected in the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister of the country, followed by the WHO expert, said there was no reason for particular concern. In their opinion, the virus is more contagious, but its clinical manifestations and consequences are the same as those of the previously detected strain.
4. The alarming fact that a "British" strain of coronavirus was first discovered in Russia is even more alarming against the backdrop of news from London. The mayor of this city declared an emergency situation amid a third increase (compared to the first wave of Covid-19) in the number of patients in hospitals and daily calls to ambulances.

Several countries have cut off flights to Great Britain. In London, only grocery stores work, you cannot go to visit and meet (even in a park, in groups of more than two people). For some time in a row, more than a thousand inhabitants died in the metropolis every day.

What is happening in Russia

The announcement that a "British" strain of the coronavirus was first discovered in Russia caused a mixed reaction from the media, scientists and government officials. A. Popova informed the Russians about the absence of danger and the excellent health of the source of infection. She also said that Russian vaccines are effective against the "British" strain, so the population has no particular reason for alarm.

The latest news has repeatedly reported cases of detection of a mutated virus. Now the number of countries where the "Briton" is rampant has reached four dozen. It was found even in Mexico - there, the source of infection was also a foreigner who visited the country for tourist purposes.

So far, only the following facts are known:

1. S. Kiselev, head of the laboratory at the Institute of Cellular Technologies, said that in Britain there were no special clinical manifestations of the new strain. This appears to be a new mutation that simply increased the rate of infection.
2. Another expert, a specialist in especially dangerous infections, V. Zhemchugov, gave interesting figures. If earlier one patient with Covid-19 infected from 1 to 1.5 people, then 70% is just an increase in the risk of infection to 2.5 from one carrier of the virus.
3. A. Popova is confident in the absence of data on more severe clinical manifestations. She speaks about the effectiveness of the Russian vaccine against the new strain. There are no reports that the "British" virus causes more deaths than the asymptomatic form.

Interesting! What can be the consequences after vaccination against coronavirus

The announcement of the appearance in Russia of the first mutated virus infected with a new strain did not come as a surprise to virologists. The property of a pathogenic agent to change in the process of vital activity and spread has been known to scientists for a long time. Failures were detected in the matrix that did not cause new properties. The mutation has now made the coronavirus capable of spreading more rapidly, but has not increased its danger and potential severity.