Biologist Baranova: Reducing COVID-19 Cases Threatens New Strains Doctor of Biological Sciences Ancha Baranova said that a sharp decrease in the number of cases of coronavirus infection threatens the emergence of new, antibody-resistant strains. Her words are quoted by TASS.
She suggested that the delta strain is indeed the final version of COVID-19, since the emergence of new variants would be accompanied by a weakening of the infectivity of the virus. At present, weaker variations cannot spread and become more frequent.
“If the number of infections drops sharply, then there will be more vectors available, competition will weaken, and another, albeit less infectious strain, will be able to for distribution, “Baranova emphasized, adding that it is difficult to predict such a development of events in advance.
According to the biologist, there is a danger that the delta strain will mutate, which will allow it to evade antibodies. However, if this were possible, these mutations would have already manifested themselves, since the variant has been circulating in the population for a long time.
Earlier, Deputy Director of the Gamaleya Center Denis Logunov called the level of antibodies necessary to protect against coronavirus: about 200-300 BAU/ml. According to him, these are the titles that provide a significant level of protection, about 80-90 percent.