The level of collective immunity to coronavirus infection in Russia has reached 55.7%.

This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova.

According to her, the epidemiological situation has improved in 12 regions of the country. 

“We see improvement in 12 regions: Volgograd, Orenburg, Ryazan, Tomsk, Chelyabinsk regions, republics of Kalmykia, Chuvashia, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Bashkortostan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

At the same time, Golikova added: "As of December 10, vaccination with the first component was carried out 74 189 385 times, vaccination of the full cycle - 67 260 355 times."

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that reaching the required level of 80% can only be achieved through vaccination.

“It is possible to reach the level of 80% only if every citizen who has no contraindications protects himself and his loved ones with the help of a vaccine,” she confirmed.

In Russia, over the past day, 30,873 new cases of coronavirus infection were detected.

The largest number of them was noted in Moscow (3477), St. Petersburg (2267) and the Moscow region (1712).

During this time, 35 657 patients fully recovered, 1176 people died.

The total number of COVID-19 cases registered in the country has reached 9,956,679.Since the beginning of the pandemic, 8,673,518 people have recovered in Russia, 287,180 patients have died.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, more than 230.4 million laboratory tests were carried out in the country during the pandemic to detect COVID-19.

The Moscow operational headquarters for control and monitoring of the situation with coronavirus noted that 800 people with coronavirus were hospitalized in Moscow over the past day, 576 patients are on mechanical ventilation. 

Sputnik V vaccine

The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov noted that the approval by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine will accelerate its acceptance in European countries.

He clarified that now Russia is signing with each country "separately, bilateral agreements on the mutual recognition of vaccinated people in order to ensure greater and better mobility for the citizens of the country."

In turn, the deputy head of the center.

Gamalei Denis Logunov recalled that Sputnik V was registered in 71 countries of the world.

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“According to the latest figures, about 200 million doses of this vaccine preparation have already been used,” Interfax quotes him as saying.

Recall that on December 5, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during a conversation with the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Francesco Rocca, emphasized that it is important for Sputnik V to obtain a WHO certificate as soon as possible in order to widen the distribution of the drug in the world.

At the same time, the WHO press service noted that the inspection of the Russian vaccine by the organization will take place no earlier than January 2022.

Strain "omicron"

In case of infection with the omicron coronavirus strain, the symptoms of the disease can develop much faster than with other known variants, said Tatyana Ruzhentsova, deputy director for clinical work of the Moscow Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after G. N. Gabrichevsky Rospotrebnadzor.

She also noted that with this type of COVID-19, patients usually do not experience such a well-known symptom as loss of smell.

"Unlike the delta strain and other previously known, patients almost do not complain of loss of smell and taste disturbances, while mild and moderately severe forms of the disease prevail," she told RIA Novosti.

At the same time, Denis Logunov noted that the danger of omicron should not be underestimated, explaining that the clinical picture in people with this variant is extremely blurred.

“We have an elderly part of the population, we have people who have not yet recovered, and to say that the omicron strain in their relation will easily flow is absolutely irresponsible,” TASS quotes him.

Rinat Maksyutov, director of the Vector Scientific Center, in turn, said that data on the effectiveness of the EpiVacCorona vaccine against the omicron strain may appear in mid-January. 

Earlier, the Moscow Department of Health said that the transfusion of plasma with antibodies to COVID-19 to infected people will reduce the likelihood of death by 19%.

“With the timely appointment of plasma, the likelihood of a worsening of the patient's condition and his transfer to mechanical ventilation is reduced by almost two times, and the probability of avoiding a lethal outcome increases by 19%,” TASS reports from the department.

At the same time, experts noted that plasma transfusion with antibodies to COVID-19 is carried out for patients with an average severity of the disease.