Experts assessed the impact of the Indian strain on the increase in the incidence of COVID Experts

The rise in the incidence of COVID-19 in Russia is not associated with the spread of a new Indian strain of CORONAVIRUS, HEAD of the Laboratory for Especially Dangerous Infections of the Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine (FRC FTM), Professor of Virology Alexander Chepurnov told RBC.

“I don’t think this is due to the modification of the virus, it is due to the geoclimatic conditions of today. It is quite clear that the virus is seasonal, now these conditions have been created, ”he said.

According to the specialist, although the Indian strain had already come to Russia and “spoiled a lot of blood and nerves,” he could not raise the wave of infection so much in a short time. “All this is easy to find out, it is enough to selectively look at the mutations that are characteristic of this strain,” Chepurnov said. He believes that the effect of the Indian strain will affect the autumn rise in the incidence of coronavirus.

The Indian strain of coronavirus is not very common in Russia, the increase in infection is due to the increase in the mobility of citizens, Larisa Popovich, DIRECTOR of the Institute for HEALTH Economics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told RBC. “Look how many people go without masks, are passive to vaccination - this is due to the behavior of the Russians, and not to the strain,” she said.