In Russia, 18,032 people with coronavirus infection were hospitalized over the past day.

The daily increase in new cases of COVID-19 in the country amounted to 177,282.

The largest number of new cases was detected in Moscow (22,444), St. Petersburg (21,780) and the Moscow region (11,701).

During this time, 60,507 patients have fully recovered, 714 people have died.

The total number of coronavirus cases registered in Russia has reached 12,630,047.

According to the operational headquarters for combating COVID-19, as of February 4, the level of herd immunity to coronavirus in Russia is 64.1%.

80,446,704 people completed the full course of vaccination in the Russian Federation.

Natalya Pshenichnaya, Deputy Director for Clinical and Analytical Work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, expressed the opinion that the peak incidence of COVID-19 in Russia could occur in mid-February.

“In the next two or three weeks, it is quite likely that Omicron will become dominant in the regions as well, since it has already reached almost all subjects of Russia.

And by mid-February, or even earlier, the peak will come, as predicted, ”RIA Novosti quotes her as saying.

According to her, daily incidence rates at the peak can be very high, but a sharp rise in the incidence suggests the same sharp decline that was observed in other countries.

Pshenichnaya reminded that protection against the omicron strain is primarily vaccination and revaccination.

The day before, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, announced a slowdown in the spread of "omicron" in Russia and several European countries.

However, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the proportion of this strain among those infected is already more than 80%, she added.

  • Medical workers and a patient in the intensive care unit of the COVID hospital at Simferopol Clinical Hospital No. 7

  • RIA News

  • © Konstantin Mikhalchevsky

“The dynamics of development and, so to speak, the onset of the Omicron strain has slowed down somewhat,” she said in an interview with Naila Asker-zade on the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

Popova added that experts are actively working to determine the structure of various strains of coronavirus circulating in the subjects of the Russian Federation.

According to her, in Russia, Omicron already accounts for more than 50% of all COVID-19 infections, while about 3% of infections with this variant in the country fall on subspecies BA.2. 

“The first VA.2 variant was identified on January 13, enough time has not passed, and today in our database of all Omicron strains, 3% falls on this line.

Now scientists in different countries are studying the abilities of this virus, colleagues from Denmark say that it is more contagious, in this country the proportion of this subspecies is very high - over 80%, ”Popova explained.

She also noted that "omicron" is twice as contagious as the flu virus, and spreads very quickly.

In turn, Tatyana Ruzhentsova, Deputy Director for Clinical Work of the MNIIEM named after G.N.

“There are less signs of thrombosis, persistent cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disorders,” she said.

The specialist suggested that this could be due to the presence of immunity in many infected with a new variant and the timely start of treatment "due to pronounced symptoms of infection from the very first day of illness."

At the same time, in vaccinated patients after the transferred omicron strain, any consequences are much less common.

Permanent registration of Sputnik V

Recall, on the eve of the head of the Ministry of Health Mikhail Murashko said that the Russian vaccine against coronavirus "Sputnik V" has completely passed all stages of research and received permanent registration.

Sputnik V was registered on August 11, 2020 and became the world's first officially registered coronavirus vaccine.

At the moment, the drug is registered in 71 countries with a total population of more than 4 billion people.

Sputnik V and Sputnik Light have demonstrated the highest safety and efficacy in 30 studies and real data from 60 countries.

Head of the Department of the Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

N.F.

Gamaleya, Professor Alexander Butenko also explained that Sputnik V is approved for use in all respects of passing through three stages of clinical trials.

“All data on the absence of any side effects during vaccination and on the creation of immunity are being confirmed,” Butenko emphasized.

He also recalled that a previously published joint article by Italian virologists and employees of the Gamaleya Center confirms the greater effectiveness of Sputnik V against various variants of coronavirus, even in comparison with the Pfizer drug.