The South African strain of coronavirus is no more dangerous than usual, but more infectious. Virologist of the Gamaleya Center Viktor Zuev spoke about this in an interview with Vechernyaya Moskva.
According to the expert, the new mutation of the virus penetrates more easily into the cells of the human body and is easier to fix in them. Thus, the virus becomes more contagious. “In simple words, if a person sneezed and infected three people, then such a virus will be less contagious than if it infected 5-8 people. An organism that has picked up an African strain infects more people than an ordinary covid, ”the virologist explained.
Zuev also noted that the characteristics of new strains depend on the environment. If some conditions contribute to its reproduction and increase its contagiousness, others, on the contrary, prevent its development and reduce its infectivity.
A new mutation of the coronavirus was discovered in South Africa on December 18. Scientists have identified a previously unknown species of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the country. The South African Minister of Health emphasized that the second wave of coronavirus in the country is probably associated with this particular mutation of the disease.
