Virologist explained the reason for the new wave of coronavirus in Russia: Society: Russia: Lenta.ru
The reason for the new wave of COVID-19 in Russia is the spread of the Indian variant of the delta plus coronavirus infection, reported virologist of the Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health, Professor Alexander Butenko in an interview with Sputnik radio
According to him, the rate of spread of the infection is largely due to the short incubation period characteristic of this variant of SARS-CoV-2. “With the ‘classic’ Chinese version of 2019, there was an incubation period of fourteen days, and now it is from two to four days,” the specialist said.
Butenko is sure that 85 percent of Russians who are hospitalized with COVID-19 have contracted the delta strain. He believes that only improved vaccines can be opposed to a dangerous pathogen. He added that the approach taken by Russian scientists in the development of new drugs will help protect people from other genotypes of infection.
“Vaccine developers are already starting to make new combination drugs. They will contain antigens of several dominant genotypes of the virus, ”said the virologist.
Earlier, the Kremlin estimated the rate of vaccination of Russians against coronavirus. According to the press secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov, they remain insufficient. The government should be more active in explaining the need for vaccinations against coronavirus, he explained.