The key facts

  • On November 7, the WHO reported a growing share of the PJ.2.1 strain in a number of countries, including the USA and Canada; in Europe — isolated cases
  • Onishchenko: the probability of a new epidemic is “very low”
  • No cases of infection with the new strain have been detected in Russia so far

New PJ.2.1 strain: risk assessment

An epidemic caused by the new coronavirus strain PJ.2.1 should not be expected, epidemiologist, RAS academician and Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Education Gennady Onishchenko told TASS. According to him, “the probability of it causing a new epidemic is very low”. He also noted that at the height of a pandemic, no single virus strain ever predominates.

The situation in the world and in Russia

On November 7, the WHO reported the global spread of COVID-19 PJ.2.1: the share of this strain is growing in a number of countries, including the USA and Canada, while isolated cases, still few in number, have been recorded in Europe. The organization noted that it is closely monitoring the situation. Rospotrebnadzor confirmed that no cases of infection with the new strain have been detected in Russia so far.

Features of the course of the disease

Doctor of Medical Sciences, infectious disease physician and virologist Yelena Malinnikova clarified that the PJ.2.1 strain may differ from others by severe sore throat and a longer-lasting loss of strength after the illness. The main risk group is elderly people aged 60 and older.

Context

Earlier, the epidemiologist explained how viruses mutate from season to season. Experts' assessments differ in emphasis: while Onishchenko speaks of a low probability of a new epidemic, the WHO, according to its own reports, merely notes the growing share of the strain in individual countries and continues monitoring — no definitive conclusions about its danger have been made in its publications.