Biologist Baranova: it is possible to become infected with two strains of coronavirus, but the strong will displace the weak their entry into the body, a struggle will begin between several varieties, in which, as a rule, the strong version of the virus displaces the weak one. So the course of the disease in the case of infection with two strains at once in an interview with “Lenta.ru” was described by Ancha Baranova, Doctor of Biological Sciences, professor at the School of Systems Biology at George Mason University (Virginia, USA).
“These viruses will start competing with each other to occupy human cells,” Baranova said. – That is, it will not matter for a person whether he has become infected with three, two strains or one. Early on, some kind of virus will win. It is unlikely that several variants of the coronavirus remain for a long time. ”
Baranova also noted that similar processes are taking place in human populations infected with the virus, in which different variants of the coronavirus gradually replaced each other during a pandemic. p>
“Just like viruses in a population will compete. When there is competition, then, as a rule, viruses do not go nose-to-nose with each other for a long time. Someone starts to win and occupies all the space, “the biologist emphasized.
At the same time, according to Baranova, if different strains of coronavirus rarely coexist with each other in one patient, then the combination of coronavirus with another disease is a fairly common story.
“Infection with a coronavirus and a virus of some other type of cold at once – it happens. This picture is in about ten percent of patients. It usually flows like a simple coronavirus, “she added.
10 percent of patients in the world were immediately sick with COVID-19 and another viral disease
A new strain of coronavirus B.1.1.529 called omicron was first detected in South Africa on November 11. On November 26, the World Health Organization recognized it as a threat.
Chinese scientists note the vitality of the strain, its ability to accelerate spread, as well as the potential to bypass the already formed immunity to other variants of the coronavirus.
RDIF stated that it will take about three weeks to study the effectiveness of the Sputnik V vaccine against the omicron strain, and in February 100 million booster doses of the vaccine sharpened against the new variant of the virus could be produced.
The Kremlin said, that the question of introducing a lockdown due to a new variant of the virus can only be resolved after a thorough study of the omicron strain by the scientific community.