Virologist Altstein: conclusions about the absence of deaths from the omicron strain are not final identified in South Africa. This is how the chief researcher of the Gamaleya Research Center Anatoly Altstein assessed the statement of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the absence of deaths from the new variant of COVID-19, his words are quoted by News.ru.
The Russian virologist is sure that WHO's opinion is still cannot be called final, since the conclusions were made based on information about the infection of only a few hundred people.
“South African experts suspect that there is a supposedly new epidemic with this virus, but there is no clear evidence of this. There really began an upturn in November, there are deaths, but there is no evidence that the omicron is to blame, “Altstein said.
Experts cannot yet assess the possibilities of the new strain of coronavirus, since it is not very common .
Earlier, the WHO said that the organization has no information on deaths associated with infection with the omicron strain of coronavirus. Nonetheless, COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers must be prepared to “update” their drugs to protect against the new mutation.