“I spoke with the head of the Gamalei Institute (Alexander Ginzburg, director of the N. F. Gamalei Center – approx. TASS), they conducted research and “Sputnik V” precisely neutralizes the new strain “omicron”. He told me that only the clinic can give a definitive answer to the question to what extent, but the level of neutralization is very high,” Putin said (quoted by TASS).
Earlier, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) reported that, according to preliminary data, Sputnik V demonstrates high virus neutralizing activity against Omicron. Revaccination with Sputnik Lite significantly increases the viral neutralizing activity against omicron two to three months after administration. The scheme of vaccination and revaccination with drugs remains the same, Ginzburg said.
“Omicron” was discovered in southern Africa in early November. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this variant of the virus has 32 mutations — more than all previously known. These changes increase its contagiousness, potentially increase the level of penetration into human cells and affect the increase in infectivity, the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova said earlier. At the moment, Omicron has already been found in more than 100 countries around the world. The number of infected with this strain doubles every 2-3 days, the WHO warned earlier.