In Ukraine, a new variety of the strain "Omicron" was catched out.
This was reported by the Ministry of Health.
We are talking about a variety called type BA.5. So far, seven such cases have been found in the Chernivtsi oblast, but the Ministry of Health does not rule out that this subtype already exists in other oblasts.
The ministry also drew attention to the fact that this indicates that COVID-19 has not disappeared, is mutating and trying to evade the immune response. Secondly, Ukraine is not much different from European countries, where this subtype is actively spreading.
"Currently, there are very few studies that can answer the question of whether this subtype leads to more severe cases and deaths. However, according to the WHO, their number is really increasing in Europe. So far, there is no direct evidence of a connection between these two events, because research is ongoing," the Ministry of Health stated.
At the same time, available information indicates that a booster dose of the vaccine significantly increases the level of neutralizing antibodies even against this subtype of the virus. Also, studies of cellular immunity indicate that T-cells formed in the human body after three doses of mRNA vaccine retain their effectiveness against the Omicron strain. It is cellular immunity that is associated with protection against severe infection, hospitalization, and death.
- At the beginning of July, the Minister of Health, Viktor Lyashko, stated that the number of coronavirus diseases has increased in Ukraine, and the health care system is being prepared for a possible new wave of the coronavirus.