The agency in charge of epidemiological surveillance in this country indicated that these citizens were previously placed under observation and upon confirmation of the presence of Covid-19 were hospitalized, while the strain of the coronavirus they carry is being established.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, specialists in sanitary quarantine control applied all necessary measures with passengers who arrived in the country on flights from South Africa and Ethiopia on December 3 and 4.

“Express tests were organized for citizens at the airport, they were taken into a patients center and underwent daily PCR tests,” the statement added.

On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) named the strain of coronavirus B.1.1.529 detected in southern Africa with the Greek letter omicron and warned that the new variant has a large number of mutations.

Several changes in the spike protein could make it difficult to neutralize the pathogen with antibodies and affect the efficacy of existing vaccines, WHO said.

Preliminary data indicate that omicron has a greater ability to spread than previously detected variants of the virus.

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