In Russia, 5,970 people with coronavirus were hospitalized over the past day.

According to the COVID-19 Operational Headquarters, the number of hospitalizations is "3.9% less compared to January 23."

“A decrease in the number of hospitalizations occurred in 49 regions of the country, an increase in hospitalizations occurred in 34 regions, without changes in two regions,” the report says.

In Moscow, the maximum indicator for the number of cases of coronavirus infection detected per day was again updated - 19,509. At the same time, the share of hospitalizations among patients with detected COVID-19 decreased to 5.1% (on January 23, this figure was 5.9%).

Thus, 992 people were delivered to the city hospitals with a diagnosis of coronavirus per day.

More than 1 thousand new cases of COVID-19 were detected in St. Petersburg (8413), Moscow region (5980), Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (1280), Yakutia (1211), Sverdlovsk (1202) and Samara (1192) regions, Perm Territory (1045).

The daily increase in new cases of coronavirus in the country amounted to 65,109. 21,714 people fully recovered, 655 patients died from complications that developed against the background of COVID-19 and concomitant diseases. 

The total number of coronavirus cases reported in the country has reached 11,173,300. 

As of January 24, the omicron coronavirus strain has been detected in 64 regions of Russia, the headquarters for combating COVID-19 reported.

At the same time, the Delta strain still retains its dominant position in Russia — it accounted for 51.7% of COVID-19 cases, while Omicron and a number of other SARS-CoV-2 mutations account for 48.3% of detected cases of the disease. around the country.

Those who have not undergone revaccination have practically no antibodies to the omicron strain, said virologist, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Lukashev. 

The specialist also emphasized that the development of separate vaccines for new variants of SARS-CoV-2 does not make practical sense, since “during the possible development and testing of the vaccine, the wave of this strain will already be completed.”

The symptoms of "omicron" are in many ways similar to the common cold, especially in those who have been vaccinated.

This was announced by the British epidemiologist, Professor Tim Spector in a conversation with The Conversation portal.

The most common are headache, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat.

Meanwhile, Vladislav Zhemchugov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, an immunologist, a specialist in especially dangerous infections, in an interview with RIA Novosti, expressed the opinion that the pandemic of coronavirus infection on a planetary scale could end this year: “I think it will end on a planetary scale within a year definitely even reach the farthest islands in the Pacific Ocean.”

In turn, the Director of the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization Hans Kluge admitted that Europe is approaching "the final phase of the pandemic."

He also noted that the continent will experience global immunity for some time after the surge in omicron cases.

“We expect a period of calm before COVID-19 may return towards the end of the year, but this does not mean that the pandemic will return,” he was quoted by AFP.

Meanwhile, expert Maria van Kerkhove believes that the situation with the spread of SARS-CoV-2 will not stop at the “omicron”.

“For a number of reasons, this virus is circulating around the world incredibly intensively.

The more it circulates, the more opportunities it has for change.

Omicron isn't the last strain you'll hear from us about, and it's likely that there will be new variants that raise concerns.

And we don't understand what the properties of the new strains might be.

Of course, their transmissibility will be higher, because they will need to displace already circulating strains.

The course of the disease can become more severe or easier, but they may also have means of bypassing the immune defenses.

Therefore, we want to reduce the risk of the future emergence of options that cause concern, ”she said on the WHO website.