The key facts

  • The Stratus strain caused a rise in COVID-19 cases in September, said RAS academician Alexander Gorelov.
  • Rospotrebnadzor noted that Stratus is not a fundamentally new strain and has been observed since January of last year.
  • The spread of the infection in Kazakhstan was previously reported.

September rise in cases

The COVID-19 Stratus strain caused the rise in cases in September, said Alexander Gorelov, RAS academician and Deputy Director for Research at the Rospotrebnadzor Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Interfax reports. Speaking at the Annual Conference on Infectious Diseases 'Pokrovsky Readings', he said: 'Once again the country was alarmed by the arrival of Stratus in September. Yes, it did indeed happen, and together we went through a rise in cases.' According to the expert, the coronavirus, like other viruses, 'does not stand still' — the virus is constantly mutating.

Not a new strain

The spread of the infection had earlier become known from the example of Kazakhstan. Rospotrebnadzor explained that Stratus is a variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus infection that is not a fundamentally new strain: doctors have been monitoring it since January of last year. Earlier, Onishchenko commented on whether Stratus could lead to a new pandemic.

Why it matters

The September rise in cases affects everyone who planned vaccination or precautionary measures for the autumn season. From the confirmed facts it follows that Stratus has been known to medics for more than a year and a half and is under observation, which reduces the uncertainty around the new rise. At the same time, the publication contains no data on the severity of the disease with this variant or on the dynamics of cases after September — these questions remain open.