Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Cell Proliferation Laboratory of the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology Petr Chumakov predicted the evolution of the coronavirus after the omicron strain. He told in a radio interview Sputnikthat the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the process of evolution gradually adapted to the human population.
The virus will continue to evolve, which could lead to an even more contagious strain, Chumakov noted.
The virologist recalled that the Wuhan strain affected mainly the elderly, while the British “alpha” and subsequent variants of the coronavirus gradually expanded coverage.
According to him, now the coronavirus has “pierced” immunity in all age groups, and has adapted to people. “Then the virus increased its contagiousness and began to involve other age groups that were more resistant. “Omicron” became highly contagious, it broke the immune system in everyone, including children. This is a consequence of the fact that the virus has adapted to the human population, ”the virologist explained.
He concluded that despite the evolution of the coronavirus, the ways to protect against infection remain the same. Chumakov urged to prevent a severe course of COVID-19 to be vaccinated, and then revaccinated every six months.
The discovery in Russia of cases of infection with a subspecies of the omicron strain of coronavirus BA.2, which is also called “stealth omicron”, was reported on February 2. The head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova said that the vast majority of BA.2 was found in Moscow, the Republic of Mari El, the Rostov region and the Republic of Bashkortostan.
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