"For the first time in the world": Rospotrebnadzor managed to get an image of the British strain of COVID-19

Over the past day, 19,290 new cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Russia, this is the minimum figure since November 3, 2020 (18,648).

In the two days preceding this, the figure was 21,127 and 20,921. The total number of reported cases of COVID-19 in the country since the start of the pandemic reached 3,738,690.

For the entire time, 3,150,763 patients have recovered (19,003 - over the past day).

69,918 people died from complications that developed against the background of coronavirus infection and concomitant diseases (456 per day).

Over the past 24 hours, most of the new cases of COVID-19 were detected in Moscow (2382), St. Petersburg (2116), Moscow (1163) and Nizhny Novgorod (488) regions.

The largest total number of coronavirus cases in the country was recorded in Moscow (915,508).

779 824 people recovered, 13 030 died.

The press service of Rospotrebnadzor reported that since the beginning of the pandemic in Russia, more than 99.7 million laboratory tests have been carried out to detect COVID-19.

More than 648 thousand people remain under medical supervision in connection with suspected coronavirus infection.

In addition, the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare reported that they managed to obtain a photograph of the "British" strain of SARS-CoV-2.

The FBSI SSC Vector of Rospotrebnadzor for the first time in the world photographed the British strain of coronavirus isolated from a patient in December 2020.

A photograph of the virus under a microscope was obtained as part of the ongoing study of the properties of this variant of the new coronavirus, including its structural features and manifestations in cell cultures and experimental models using laboratory animals, ”the report said.

• The first image of the "British" strain SARS-CoV-2

• © Rospotrebnadzor

It is noted that the mutations characteristic of the "British" variation of SARS-CoV-2 do not affect the effectiveness of the EpiVacCorona vaccine from the Vector center.

Recall that a new strain of coronavirus began to actively spread in the UK in December 2020, after which Russia, like a number of other countries, introduced a ban on air traffic with the United Kingdom.

In early January, the chief sanitary doctor of the Russian Federation, Anna Popova, announced that the "British" mutation COVID-19 was detected in one Russian citizen who returned from this country at the end of 2020.

Earlier, the Russian Direct Investment Fund also emphasized that the Sputnik V vaccine can protect against the "British" strain of COVID-19.

Recall that EpiVacCorona was registered in Russia on October 14, 2020, while Sputnik V, which received a registration certificate on August 11, is the world's first registered coronavirus vaccine.

Mass vaccination against coronavirus infection has been carried out in Russia since January 18.

As RIA Novosti reported with reference to the new edition of the instructions for "Sputnik V", people with cancer should use the vaccine "with caution".

“Due to the lack of information, vaccination can pose a risk for the following groups of patients: with autoimmune diseases (stimulation of the immune system can lead to an exacerbation of the disease, especially patients with autoimmune pathologies, which tend to develop severe and life-threatening conditions, should be treated with caution);

with malignant neoplasms, ”the instruction says.

This is due to insufficient information on how the drug can interact with such diseases.

Meanwhile, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said that soon the drug, developed by specialists of the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Honorary Academician N.F.

Gamalei, will be certified by the World Health Organization.

“We have submitted our documents for the prequalification of our vaccine, for its inclusion in the EUL (Emergency Use Listing) list.

On January 22 of this year, the WHO began the second stage of consideration of our application, so we hope it will be certified soon enough, ”TASS quotes him.

He pointed to the existence in the world of "vaccine competition", which began, including due to the fact that the United States began to recognize "Sputnik V".

“We offered our vaccine to the UN when there were no other vaccines at all.

But in any case, the question of the use of our vaccine at the UN headquarters and in its missions in other countries cannot be discussed until the WHO issues a certificate, ”the diplomat emphasized.

At the end of September 2020, Vladimir Putin, during a video message at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, offered to provide a Russian vaccine for voluntary vaccination of UN employees.