All Russian test systems detect coronavirus, regardless of which variant of the virus a person is infected with. This was announced by the head of the scientific group of genetic engineering and biotechnology of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Cherkashina on Friday, January 14.
“All PCR test systems are capable of detecting coronavirus in order to establish a diagnosis of COVID-19, regardless of which variant the person was infected with: Delta or Omicron. They are focused on that part of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus genome that does not undergo such frequent changes and remains almost constant, ”she said. “RIA News”.
It is necessary to differentiate Omicron from Delta in order to control the development of the epidemiological process, to know the possible complications of the situation and to predict the burden on medical institutions, Cherkashina explained. But at the same time, it is not necessary to test everyone with new systems in a row, only a part of the population, 5-10% of the cases in the region, is enough.
“Such work has been carried out by Rospotrebnadzor in relation to the Omicron strain for more than a month, since December 2021,” the specialist noted.
On January 14, Natalya Pshenichnaya, Deputy Director for Clinical and Analytical Work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, said that Omicron should not be considered a mild disease, since the cumulative mortality rates from it are high worldwide.
A large-scale vaccination campaign continues in Russia. Citizens can get vaccinated for free. Six coronavirus drugs have been registered in the country: Sputnik V, Sputnik Light, EpiVacCorona, KoviVac, EpiVacCorona-N, and the Sputnik M vaccine for adolescents.
All relevant information on the situation with coronavirus is available on the websites stopcoronavirus.rf and access to all.rf, as well as the hashtag #WeTogether. Coronavirus hotline: 8 (800) 2000-112.
#Rospotrebnadzor #spoke #universal #possibility #PCR #tests