The spread in Russia of a new strain of the coronavirus "Omicron", which is expected in the near future, will lead to the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. An epidemiologist, who wished to remain anonymous, said this in a conversation with the publication ufa1.ru.

He noted that the omicron propagation rate is significantly ahead of the delta. While the SARS-CoV-2 variant discovered in India took several months to replace competitors, the South African strain could cope in a few weeks.

"Soon there will be a peak in the spread of the virus, and it will give us the highest mortality," the medic warned.

Earlier, the Dutch authorities decided to introduce an almost month-long lockdown in the country due to the spread of the omicron strain. The restrictions will be in effect from December 19 to January 14. The new rules introduce a ban on large gatherings of people. During this period, residents will be able to meet a maximum of two, four of them are allowed to see each other from December 24 to 26 and on New Year's Eve.

bbabo.Net