Virologist of the Russian Academy of Sciences called omicron-strain a live vaccine

A new strain of CORONAVIRUS "omicron" can act as a live vaccine due to reduced pathogenicity and the emergence of immunity in the patient even to pathogenic variants of the infection after recovery. This was reported to URA.ru by virologist, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, HEAD of the Cell Proliferation Laboratory of the V. A. Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology Petr Chumakov.

According to him, there is an optimistic point of view that now the coronavirus has rapidly passed the second phase of its evolution and has become more contagious, but less pathogenic.

“It’s also good, because in this way, maybe nature has created a live vaccine against coronavirus. That is, those people who get sick and carry this strain of coronavirus will become resistant to disease-causing variants, ”he explained.

The virologist added that after the emergence of the "omicron" strain, the authorities may rule out lockdowns in the future. However, Chumakov clarified, the development of a new variant and how it displaces disease-causing strains still needs to be monitored.