Tests for “omicron” in Russia. Coronavirus news on January 12 – RBC

In Russia, a test system has been registered to identify the “omicron”, whether an “overload” of immunity from frequent booster vaccinations can happen. The most relevant about the COVID pandemic – in the RBC review

In the country, 17,525 new cases of COVID-19 were detected per day. Of those previously ill, 783 people died per day. The total number of infected is 10.6 million, 9.7 million people have recovered. Died, according to the operational headquarters, over 317 thousand.

• Roszdravnadzor has registered the first test system in Russia for detecting the omicron coronavirus strain. It was developed by the Federal Biomedical Agency (FMBA). It takes about an hour and a half to identify the omicron strain in the test system.
• It is impossible to argue that the disease with coronavirus when infected with the omicron strain is easier, said Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko.

• The number of people infected with the omicron strain in Russia during the New Year holidays has tripled to 305, said Anna Popova, head of Rospotrebnadzor. According to her, a person infected with the omicron strain can begin to spread the disease within a day, before he shows symptoms.
• According to the Gamaleya Center, an increase in the number of infected with the omicron variant of the coronavirus in Russia should be expected in late January – early February.

• The data on the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus infection in Cyprus, which is a hybrid of the strains “delta” and “omicron”, may be the result of a laboratory error, suggested Kamil Khafizov, head of the scientific group for the development of new diagnostic methods based on sequencing technologies at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor. “On closer examination, they turned out to be similar to laboratory contamination, that is, contamination of some samples with others,” explained Khafizov.
• Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered to limit foreign business trips and vacations of the military due to the emergence of the omicron version of the coronavirus in the country.

By data WHO, the number of people infected with coronavirus in the world has exceeded 305.9 million people, of which more than 5.48 million have died.

• The leader in the number of confirmed cases remains the United States, where more than 59 million infected have been identified. India is in second place (over 35.7 million), in third place is Brazil (almost 22.5 million), in fourth place is Great Britain (over 14.4 million), in fifth place is France (over 11 million).

• Frequent booster doses of coronavirus vaccine at short intervals can overload the immune system, warned Marco Cavaleri, head of vaccination and infection control at the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

• The entire leadership of Bulgaria, including the president, prime minister, key ministers and party leaders, went into quarantine. It was all due to the meeting of the National Security Council of Bulgaria, after which the Speaker of Parliament tested positive for coronavirus.

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may be investigated for violation of quarantine measures due to a party that allegedly took place in May 2020 at his residence.

• Over the next 6 to 8 weeks, more than 50% of Europe’s population will be infected with the new omicron coronavirus, the WHO Regional Office for Europe reported, citing forecasts by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. New data confirms that omicron is more infectious than other variants of COVID-19, the WHO said.

• Cyprus has recognized the Russian Sputnik Light vaccine as a tourist booster.

• Specialists from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave a positive opinion on the production standards of Sputnik V. Deputy Head of the Center. Gamalei Denis Logunov said that work is currently underway to harmonize Russian production standards with those in Europe and China.