Virologist, professor at the Gamaleya Center Anatoly Altshtein said that the omicron strain of coronavirus is highly infectious, so we may encounter cases of re-infection with this variant of COVID-19. This is reported by Radio Sputnik.
Omicron is the more contagious variant due to the fact that it mostly replicates in the upper respiratory tract, Altstein said.
“Compared to other strains, Omicron is more contagious. The fact is that "omicron" multiplies mainly in the upper respiratory tract and does not penetrate below. Because of this, infection is carried out in smaller doses than with previous strains, and therefore it is so contagious, ”said the virologist.
He added that thanks to this feature, Omicron “breaks through” the immunity of those who have been vaccinated against coronavirus infection for a long time. People who have had COVID-19 are not protected from it either.
Earlier, the head of the laboratory of genomic engineering at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Pavel Volchkov, said that scientific research on "omicron" suggests that this variant of the coronavirus penetrates the lungs less than other strains.
bbabo.Net