Academician Chumakov: "Perhaps we are dealing with a new type of Covid-19"

"Novye Izvestia" asked for clarification from Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, molecular biologist, Professor Peter Chumakov.

Irina Mishina

- Pyotr Mikhailovich, in recent days there has been a surge in the incidence of coronavirus, and patients and doctors note a change in symptoms and the nature of the course of the disease. What do scientists associate this with?

- From the point of view of science, the virus should, in theory, decline over time and with an increase in the number of patients. But in the case of the coronavirus, we are faced with the opposite. This is an unusual situation. Perhaps this rule applies to mild infections. But something else is also possible: the Covid-19 virus has mutated, and we are already dealing with new strains of it. The increase in the severity of the course of covid may just be associated with a mutation of the virus. But all this is still at the level of assumptions. The virus must be thoroughly investigated: to isolate its components, study it in laboratory conditions and then draw conclusions. Better to do it as soon as possible.

- Doctors say that recently, the coronavirus has become more difficult to treat. The Minister of Health of Russia Mikhail Murashko during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum announced that the course of coronavirus infection in a fairly large category of patients now passes with lightning speed: the condition of patients in just a day turns from mild to severe ...

- If it is proved that the virus has mutated or new modifications have appeared, it is highly likely that the treatment protocols for Covid-19 will have to be changed.

- A group of researchers from King's College London announced a change in the general symptoms of coronavirus infection. As a person who has had a coronavirus, I can say: the main signs of COVID-19 are fever, prolonged cough, loss of smell and taste. But, according to British scientists, in recent weeks, the most common symptoms of covid have become headaches, runny nose and sore throat. What is the reason for this?

- Perhaps this is a feature of the new strains. But something else is also possible: a bacterial infection also joins the coronavirus infection. In this case, in addition to antiviral drugs, it is necessary to add antibacterial drugs to the treatment protocol. In general, new strains appear when the virus does not leave the patient's body for a long time. Or when he is not fully healed. The virus adapts to the body, its mutations accumulate, then the disease spreads to other people.

- Alexander Gorelov, deputy director for scientific work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, said that 33 South African strains were identified in Russia. Recently, WHO has raised the degree of danger of a mutated strain of coronavirus from India. Experts admitted that it has become a cause for concern at the global level ...

- In India, just a mutation of the coronavirus could occur due to the fact that people who fell ill with covid were not completely cured: the virus remained in their body for a long time and thus mutated. This is quite possible given the low level of medicine in this country and the general unsanitary conditions. In short, in the body of a weakened person, the coronavirus begins, as it were, to live its own life, transforms, acquires new characteristics and in this form is transmitted to other people. Such a virus can more strongly affect the immune system, as a bacterial infection joins it. It just causes disorders in the immune system. To summarize, I will say this: the transformation of the symptoms and course of the coronavirus can be associated with a combination of two infections, when a person becomes infected with two viruses at once, for example, rhinovirus and adenovirus. Or we are dealing with a complex mutation of a virus. But all this is still at the level of assumptions and needs proof.

- What, in your opinion, should our medicine undertake in these conditions?

- We must wait for the results of studies of the allegedly mutated Covid-19 virus. It is probably worth considering revising treatment protocols or supplementing them. But only mass vaccination will help to radically resolve the issue. We have, forgive me for being straightforward, wild people: people prefer to discuss some hypothetical complications instead of being vaccinated. These complications occur in one case in a thousand. And the likelihood of infection with covid is a reality, unfortunately. And the complications that can occur in rare cases after vaccination are not comparable to the complications that arise after coronavirus - the latter pose a real threat to life. Today in the United States, about 60% of those vaccinated - there the epidemic is on the decline. In Israel, 70% are vaccinated - there we can talk about the victory over the epidemic. And only in Russia there are only about 5% vaccinated. With such indicators, we will not defeat the coronavirus. In the place of our authorities, I would think about paying every vaccinated person a monetary reward, at least a small one. In any case, this is cheaper than maintaining and expanding the pool of covid beds in hospitals and than paying doctors overtime.

- What do you think, will a lockdown be introduced in Russia, will the quarantine measures be toughened? Will the "Moscow holidays", announced until June 20, last any longer?

- Here our authorities will seek a balance, taking into account the economic component. But practice has shown: the long May holidays led to a decrease in the incidence. It should also be borne in mind that it takes time to reboot the health care system: apparently, it will be necessary to expand the bed capacity, to re-launch the covid clinics that were reduced. And now there is still a period of vacations... In a word, a difficult time awaits us. In these conditions, everyone must take all measures themselves in order not to get infected.