European continent, including Russia, preparing for the coronavirus storm. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has already announced the dominance of “omicron” in the capital. And in the near future, the increase in new cases of infection may exceed 7 thousand.
“Omicron” is spreading very quickly around the planet. In Germany, the daily record for the number of infected people was broken, in the Netherlands, more than 33 thousand cases per day. Flashes of “omicron” swept over Austria. A record number of cases of COVID-19 was recorded in France. Despite high vaccination rates, many European countries have reintroduced restrictions. WHO experts believe that half of the population of Europe will become infected with the “omicron” in the coming weeks.
At the same time, scientists continue to study the coronavirus. New data on its survival in the environment emerged this week. It turned out that virions die in the air in a matter of seconds! But under what conditions?
Important research to understand how virus behaves in the environment, conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol. However, not all results are applicable to the omicron.
Until now, scientists have drawn conclusions about the survival of viral particles released during coughing and sneezing, based on observations made using sealed vessels. So experts came to the conclusion that the virus can live in the air for up to three hours.
However, in real conditions, virions behave differently than in the laboratory. Virologists have found that in the open air they are rapidly losing their infectivity. With low humidity, after only 10 seconds, it is reduced by 50%. After five minutes, it drops by almost 20%, and after 20 minutes, the decrease in the level of contagiousness reaches 90 percent!
During the experiments, scientists strictly controlled the temperature, humidity and intensity of ultraviolet radiation in the environment. After leaving the relatively moist and carbon dioxide-rich lungs of a person, the viral particles lose moisture and dry out, which undermines the ability of the virus to infect human cells.
The observed effects were valid for three Sars-CoV-2 variants, including the alpha strain. But here, apparently, additional research will be required for the “omicron”. Until this the strain is highly infectious.
“Before the era of coronavirus, the most contagious diseases were measles in first place, and chickenpox in second place. The delta strain wedged between chickenpox and measles, that is, it bypassed chickenpox in terms of contagiousness, but stopped in front of measles. And Omicron has already surpassed , jumped over the contagiousness of measles. That is, this is the most contagious disease that we have known so far, “says Vladimir Bolibok, an immunologist-allergist.
On the other hand, the research results once again emphasize the importance of social distancing and wearing a mask in public places: in transport, shops.
“In order to protect yourself from” omicron “, you need to put on a mask, and preferably a certified respirator, already at home, without directly going out the door, and then you go out in a mask and do not take off this mask until you return home. Therefore that wherever you are, you are exposed to the threat of infection,” explains Vladimir Bolibok, an immunologist-allergist.
That’s why it’s important to get vaccinated. It may not give a 100% guarantee against infection, but at least it will allow you to transfer the disease in a milder form.
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