Rospotrebnadzor announced a “tendency towards stabilization” of the situation with COVID

In Russia, there is a tendency to stabilize with the spread of COVID-19, because, despite the rapid increase in the number of new cases detected daily, the same surge in hospitalizations or deaths has not been detected. This was stated by Deputy Director for Clinical and Analytical Work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor Natalya Pshenichnaya in broadcast TV channel “Russia 24”.

“The omicron variant is increasingly acquiring features — practically acquired — of a standard, typical seasonal ARVI,” she said, pointing to the similarity of infection transmission routes, a short incubation period and the severity of the disease.

In addition, Pshenichnaya continued, now doctors in Rospotrebnadzor are observing “a little bit of a trend towards stabilization of the situation.”

Pshenichnaya also added that the decision of Rospotrebnadzor to cancel the mandatory quarantine for those in contact with COVID-19 cases was caused by saving resources in the face of a decrease in the severity of the disease. “Contact persons are not isolated because there are a lot of such contact persons now and all resources must be focused on helping those who are sick,” she said.

Two days earlier, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, also announced a slowdown in the spread of the omicron variant, both in Russia and in other European countries. She clarified that this strain accounts for half of all cases of coronavirus in the country, and in Moscow and St. Petersburg, up to 80% of patients with COVID-19 are sick with omicron. Denis Protsenko, the head physician of the hospital in Kommunarka, specified that with the omicron disease, the number of hospitalizations is reduced by 2.5 times – only 7% of patients with the omicron strain and 20% of patients with the delta strain need inpatient treatment.

In early February, Popova said that about 20% of sick residents of Russia carry COVID-19 without symptoms, and among residents of the capital there are up to 40%. According to her, there is no need for “massive testing”.